r 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 
CALIFORNIA 

SAN  DIEGO 


V 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS 


THE    BOLSHEVISTS 


A  Comedy  Drama 


BY 

W.  B.  RUBIN 

Author  of 

"The  Toiler  in  Europe,"  "Billy  Justin  Series, 
"Capture  the  Courts,"  etc. 


THE  CORNHILL  COMPANY 
BOSTON 


Copyright  1921  by 

THE  CORNHILL  COMPANY 

All  Rights  Reserved 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

A  Comedy  Drama 
BY 

W.  B.  RUBIN 

Four  Acts  Three  Settings 

THE  MESSAGE: 

Americans,  take  heed.  Bolshevism  is  at  our  door  and 
threatens  us  with  its  plague.  It  is  in  the  mansion  as  well 
as  the  gutter. 

"And  therefore  think  him  as  a  Serpent's  egg, 

Which,  hatch'd,  would  as  his  kind  grow  mischievous ; 

And  kill  him  in  the  shell." 

Live  love  and  patriotism,  that  we  may  hand  down  to  our 
posterity  the  blessings  of  a  free  America. 


ACT  I. 

SCENE — A  reception  room  at  the  Fulsom  residence. 
TIME — Afternoon. 

ACT  II. 

SCENE — An  office  in  the    business    establishment    of    Mr. 
Fulsom. 

TIME — Six  weeks  later. 


ACT  III. 

SCENE — A  typical  radical  reading  room  on  lower  east  side, 
New  York  City. 

TIME — Four  months  later. 


ACT  IV. 


SCENE — Same  as  Act  I. 
TIME — The  next  morning. 


CAST  OF  CHARACTERS 

WILLIAM  C.  JUSTIN — a  plumber.     Saw  service  in  Europe. 

Spokesman  of  the  Labor  Committee  and  a  Comrade 

in  the  New  Republic. 
WILSON — the  butler. 
JEANNETTE — the  maid. 
MARY  McGiNNis — the  cook. 
ROBERT     FULSOM — of     Fulsom     &     Company,     wholesale 

plumbers'  supplies,  who  made  millions  in  the  war. 
AMY  FULSOM — his  daughter — with  a  democratic  vision. 
MRS.  MILDRED  FISHER — a  divorcee.    Later,  MRS.  FULSOM. 
HAROLD  KINGSTON — a  rich  New  York  idler. 
MR.  LAMB  "| 

MR.  WORDSWORTH  ^  ,  „ 

,.      ,  \-    Committee  or  Employers 

MR.  JOHNSTON 

MR.  COMPTON  J 

DONALD  MCDONALD          ^) 

Louis  MENDEL  ~         .^         ,  ^ 

V     Committee  of  Employees. 
HENRICO  GALLICI 

ALEXANDER  SCHMIDT        J 
ANNY  SAMPSON — Secretary  of  the 

New  Republic. 

ANNE  LA  BUY 


STANISLAUS  BABINSKI 
YVAN  BOLZEKOFF 
ARTHUR  MANKIN 
SOPHIE  MORGAN 
NELS  NELSON 
EMMA  GOLD 


Comrades  in 

the 
NewRepublic 


CAST  OF  CHARACTERS— (Continued) 

DR.  CHARLES  REED — physician  and  author.  Recently  re 
turned  from  a  four  year  Red  Cross  Service  in  Russia, 
with  first  hand  information  on  Bolshevism. 

DETECTIVE 

SHORTHAND  REPORTER 

OFFICE  BOY 

POLICE  SERGEANT  O'FLARITY 

DETECTIVES,  POLICEMEN,  and  "COMRADES." 


ACT  I 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS 


ACT  I 


Scene :  Reception  room  at  the  Fulsom  home,  drawing 
room  to  the  right  where  men  and  women  are  playing 
whist.. 


(As  the  curtain  goes  up,  the  door  bell  rings.) 

MAID:  (Addressing  the  butler.)  I  hope  it  is  the  plumber 
man. 

BUTLER:  If  it  hain't,  me  for  a  life  preserver. 

MAID  :  You  don't  need  any,  you  can  float. 

BUTLER  :  'Ow  habout  you,  pretty  Miss  ? 

MAID  :  I  should  worry,  I  am  an  ensign  in  the  Swiss  navy. 
(Butler  leaves  and  comes  back  and  announces  the 
presence  of  Mrs.  Fisher  and  Mr.  Kingston.  Butler 
and  maid  retire.  Amy  Fulsom  enters.) 

MRS.  FISHER:  I  must  apologize,  Amy,  for  being  rather 
late — so  unusual  of  me,  don't  you  know,  but — 

KINGSTON  :  I  really  must  apologize  too. 

AMY  :  No  excuses.    You  are  late  and  that  is  all. 

MRS.  FISHER:  My  machine  was  halted  because  some  work- 
fellow  or  somebody  like  that  was  struck  down  by  an 
automobile  while  crossing  the  road. 

KINGSTON  :  Yes,  it  was  a  horrid  sight.  It  was  deucedly 
awful. 

AMY  :  Isn't  that  too  bad.     Poor  soul !     How  unfortunate. 


4  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

MRS.  FISHER  :  Yes,  it  took  my  time.  You  know  how  those 
traffic  policemen  are.  They  would  not  let  traffic  pass 
until  they  had  gotten  the  names  of  witnesses  and  gone 
into  full  details  of  the  accident.  I  suppose  the  fellow 
left  a  widow  and  a  brood  of  children.  These  work- 
fellows  never  leave  anything  but  a  lot  of  children. 

KINGSTON  :  Very  clever,  very  clever.  Never  thought  of 
that.  Leave  nothing  but  children. 

AMY  :  I  will  forgive  you  both  this  time.  Besides,  Mildred, 
you  have  some  excuse.  Did  you  find  out  what  hospital 
they  took  him  to?  But  what  about  you,  Harold,  what 
detained  you? 

KINGSTON  :  Well,  you  see  I  was  waiting  for  my  valet.  It 
was  his  part  afternoon  off. 

MRS.  FISHER:  Harold,  your  excuse  seems  valid  but  mine 
is  beastly  luck,  spoiling  my  whole  day.  This  morning 
at  my  nasty  lawyer's,  trying  to  hurry  my  divorce.  These 
lawyers !  if  you  lie,  they  want  you  to  tell  the  truth,  and 
if  you  tell  the  truth,  they  want  you  to  lie.  Evidence! 
Evidence!  I  am  all  nervous  and  exhausted.  Anyway, 
your  father  is  more  impatient  about  it  than  I.  (She 
applies  her  kerchief  to  her  eyes,  affecting  tears.}  How 
do  I  look? 

AMY:  Now,  Mildred,  you  are  all  right.  You  look  sweet. 
Besides,  Father  telephoned  that  he  will  be  late  himself. 
He  may  not  be  here  for  another  half  hour. 

MRS.  FISHER  :  There  again.  Always  business,  business.  These 
busy  men  don't  seem  to  understand  that  our  pleasure 
is  as  much  their  business  as  the  making  of  contracts, 
and  that  keeping  appointments  with  us  requires  just 
as  much  punctuality  as  those  of  business. 

AMY:  Do  you  know  who  is  here,  Mildred? 

MRS.  FISHER:  No,  why  should  I?    Who  is  it? 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  5 

AMY:  Why,  Doctor  Reed.  He  is  just  back  from  Russia 
and  tells  the  most  interesting  things.  I  love  to  hear 
him  talk.  Do  come  in. 

(Exit  Mrs.  Fisher,  Kingston,  and  Amy  into  the  card 
room.  The  maid  and  butler  enter  the  reception  room.) 

COOK'S  VOICE:  (From  kitchen)  I  shure  will  be  drowned 
here  unless  that  divil  of  a  plumber  gits  here  pretty 
soon.  It  is  a  bathen  suit  I  will  be  afther  havin  pretty 
soon  if  that  plumber  don't  come. 

MAID:  (To  butler)  Wilson,  do  telephone  the  shop  once 
more  and  see  why  the  plumber  doesn't  come. 

BUTLER  :  Hi  presume  he  is  ambulating.  'Ow  these  plumbers 
can  ambulate.  I  really  believe  the  original  tortoise  was 
a  plumber. 

(Door  bell  rings.  Butler  answers  the  door  and  is  de 
tained.  Maid  (business.)  (Chattering  in  the  card 
room.) 

BUTLER:  (Returning  and  addressing  the  maid)  What  do 
you  know  about  hit?  'Ere  is  the  plumber  man  and  is 
'elper  with  their  dirty  clothes  and  tools,  and  Hi  basked 
them  hif  they  didn't  know  what  the  kitchen  door  was 
for  and  the  plumberman,  a  sharp  tongued  fellow,  said 
hit  was  for  butlers  and  not  for  plumbers.  The  hidea. 
I  won't  let  them  in. 

MAID  :  If  you  don't,  we're  drowned.  (She  hastily  opens  the 
door  to  the  card  room.)  Miss  Fulsom,  may  I  see  you 
a  moment?  (Enter  Amy.) 

AMY:  What  seems  to  be  the  matter? 

BUTLER:  There  are  two  fellows  with  their  dirty  clothes 
and  tools  who  insist  upon  entering  by  the  front  door. 
Hi  told  im  that  the  front  door  was  only  for  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  and  'E  said  that  is  the  reason  they  came 
that  way.  The  hidea,  the  hidea. 


6  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

COOK:  (Voice  from  kitchen.)  For  the  love  of  Moike,  I  will 
be  afther  hirin'  a  boat  pretty  soon  if  that  divil  of  a 
plumber  don't  come  and  sthop  the  wather. 

AMY:  Wilson,  let  them  in. 

(Butler  leaves  and  enters  with  William  Justin  and 
Donald  McDonald.  McDonald  is  overcome  with  awe 
and  looks  about  ^vhile  William  Justin  trains  himself 
to  be  natural  amid  the  luxurious  surroundings.} 

MCDONALD:  Ah — ah — 

JUSTIN:  (To  McDonald)  Never  mind,  Sandy.  (To  Amy.) 
I  beg  your  pardon,  lady.  Are  you  the  mistress  of  this 
house? 

AMY:  (Impatiently.)  I  am. 

MCDONALD:  Ah — ah — 

JUSTIN  :  Sandy,  chase  the  pew-angel.  Let  him  show  you 
what  needs  repairing.  (Exit  McDonald  following  the 
butler.) 

AMY  :  Why  did  you  not  enter  by  way  of  the  rear  door  when 
the  butler  asked  you  to?  (Exit  maid) 

JUSTIN:  Madam,  I  beg  your  pardon,  but  when  one  sends 
for  a  physician,  or  minister,  he  enters  by  the  front 
door.  Why?  Because  each  one  of  these  gentlemen 
is  a  member  of  a  profession.  So  am  I.  I  too  have  a 
profession.  I  am  not  begging  for  work.  You  asked 
me  or  rather  my  employer  to  send  me  here  to  do  a 
piece  of  work  for  you,  so  I  come. 

AMY  :  But  that  is  different.  You  don't  seem  to  understand ; 
the  physician  and  the  minister  are  gentlemen  of  edu 
cation,  of  high  profession.  Yours  is  a  trade. 

JUSTIN  :  A  doctor  may  merely  practice  a  trade,  likewise  a 
minister.  But  some  doctors  and  ministers  turn  their 
trades  into  professions.  Not  the  vocation  itself  but 
society  determines  what  is  a  trade  or  profession.  I 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  7 

am  a  producer.  To  the  producer  not  only  belongs 
the  right  to — yes,  the  front  door  itself.  But  be  that 
as  it  may,  do  you  observe  what  I  am  wearing? 

AMY  :  Yes,  of  course,  the  overcoat  of  a  soldier. 

JUSTIN  :  With  that  uniform,  you  should  not  expect  me  to 
enter  by  any  other  way. 

AMY  :  Why,  of  course  not.  You  must  excuse  me.  I  really 
did  not  mean  it  in  that  way  but  in  war,  things  were 
different.  We  were  all  different  in  war. 

JUSTIN  :  That  is  just  it.  We  were  not  different.  We  were 
and  are  the  same  but  some  pretended  to  be  different.  I 
take  it  that  you  and  your  friends  and  acquaintances 
did  a  lot  of  Red  Cross  work  and  entertained  in  a 
social  way  the  sailors  and  soldiers. 

AMY  :  Why,  of  course.  WTe  felt  it  our  duty.  I  know  I 
was  proud  to  do  my  duty,  my  full  duty,  although  in  my 
set,  we  entertained  only  officers. 

JUSTIN  :  That  is  it.  You  entertained  us  to  urge  us  on,  to 
make  us  feel  that  we  were  becoming  one  people  with 
one  thought, — a  new  kind  of  democracy, — all  Ameri 
cans  for  America,  the  rich  and  the  poor  together,  each 
for  the  other,  for  America.  We  went  away  with 
ocean  waves  of  handkerchiefs,  to  thrilling  music.  The 
newspapers  wrote  columns  and  we  fought.  Good 
God!  Well,  some  of  us  came  back  amid  a  noisy  recep 
tion  but  after  that,  to  the  street,  with  the  freedom  to 
hunt  for  a  job.  Heroes, — the  common  fate  of  heroes. 

AMY  :  I  am  sorry  I  affected  you  that  way.  I  am  sure  I  did 
not  mean  to  be  impolite  to  you.  I  did  my  bit  in  this 
war,  too.  I  did  all  that  I  could  do  and  all  that  I  was 
asked  to  do.  I  am  sorry  but  how  could  that  be  helped  ? 
The  stream  of  life  covets  no  favorites.  You  are  not 
one  of  those  men  who  believe  that  everything  should 
be  divided  up,  I  hope. 


8  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

JUSTIN  :  I  am  worse  than  that.  Poverty  drove  me  from 
school  when  a  mere  lad  to  take  up  my  profession,  my 
trade.  I  was  taught  to  look  up  to  success.  I  believed 
that  doctrine,  I  worshipped  at  its  shrine.  I  started  to 
climb,  content  with  all  risks — and  I  did  climb.  Then 
the  war  came.  I  sacrificed  all  and  volunteered. 

AMY  :  Yes,  that  was  every  man's  duty. 

JUSTIN  :  But  how  about  the  men  who  have  stayed  behind 
and  profiteered  ?  Have  they  done  their  duty  too  ?  A  Mr. 
Fulsom  from  whom  I  used  to  purchase  my  supplies 
made  millions  on  the  rising  war  market  and — 

AMY  :  Sir !  Mr.  Fulsom  is  my  father. 

JUSTIN  :  I  did  not  know.  However,  what  is  true  of  your 
father,  is  true  of  many,  many  men  in  business.  Does 
it  seem  to  you  to  be  fair  that  they  who  went  to  war 
should  be  the  losers,  while  they  who  stayed  behind 
are  gainers? 

AMY:  No,  it  is  not -exactly  right,  but  you  seem  so  strangely 
embittered.  Surely  you  bear  no  one  hatred.  There 
must  be  a  reason  which  perhaps  I  fail  to  grasp.  I 
wish  1  understood  you.  I  have  never  heard  any  other 
soldier  talk  that  way. 

JUSTIN  :  Yes,  and  had  you  entertained  me,  condescendingly, 
dutifully,  and  patriotically  as  hundreds  of  other  girls 
of  your  station  entertained  the  soldiers  before  their 
departure,  you  would  have  found  me  just  like  the  rest 
of  them.  But  the  change  came  not  over  there  but  over 
here.  I  listened  to  talks  and  lectures.  I  saw  and  now, 
having  fought  for  democracy,  I  want  if. 

AMY  :  Is  it  possible  that  you  have  humiliated  the  unif orm 
that  you  have  worn,  compromised  the  soldier's  over 
coat  that  you  are  wearing,  by  attending  meetings  where 
Bolshevism  is  preached? 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  9 

(Sandy  McDonald  sticks  his  head  in  and  stutters) 

SANDY  :  Ah — ah.  H — B — Billy  c — come — 

JUSTIN:  Excuse  me,  Miss.  (Walks  away.) 

AMY:  (Haughtily.)  You  may  be  excused. 

(Exit  Justin.  Amy  is  excited  and  perturbed  over  the 
conversation  just  engaged  in  and  is  seised  with  a  feel 
ing  of  fear  that  Justin  is  a  dangerous  character.  She 
opens  the  door  to  the  card  room.) 

AMY  :  Oh,  Dr.  Reed.  Won't  you  come  here  for  a  second  ? 
(Enter  Dr.  Reed.) 

DR.  REED  :  What  is  it,  Amy  ? 

AMY  :  Dr.  Reed,  do  you  know  there  is  a  Bolshevist  in  our 
house? 

DR.  REED  :  Who  is  that  ?    Where  is  he  ? 

AMY  :  Working  upon  the  drains. 

DR.  REDD:  Urn  hum.     That  is  interesting. 

AMY:  He  speaks  in  strange,  unreasonable  terms.  Really, 
Doctor,  I  am  a  little  alarmed. 

DR.  REED:  I  am  interested  and  should  like  very  much  to 
meet  him. 

AMY:  You  will  if  he  returns  as  he  came.  He  is  a  soldier, 
with  a  feeling  of  class  resentment.  If  that  is  our 
soldiers'  thought,  it  forebodes  something  that  is  not  for 
rest  and  peace. 

DR.  REED:  (Taking  Amy  by  the  hand.  They  are  seated.) 
Amy,  do  you  realize  that  soul  is  the  source  of  thought? 
So,  what  we  think,  we  feel,  and  what  we  feel,  we  think. 
You  know  there  are  many  who  believe  that  thought  is 
separate  from  matter. 

AMY  :  I  don't  quite  understand  you,  Doctor. 

DR.  REED  :  But  you  will  understand  me  for  I  am  leading  up 
to  the  consideration  of  this  young  man.  He  feels 
what  he  has  been  thinking,  and  has  been  thinking  what 


10  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

he  feels,  and  it  is  far  better  that  he  speak  his  thoughts 
than  to  keep  them  to  himself.  You  prick  your  finger. 
Later  you  feel  a  throbbing  pain.  That  tells  you 
just  as  the  sun  tells  that  it  is  day  that  there  is  germ 
infection.  The  way  for  relief  is  to  open  the  wound 
and  drain  the  infection.  If  it  is  not  too  deep,  the  wound 
will  soon  heal.  If  not  controlled,  it  may  travel  so 
rapidly  as  to  cause  death.  So  this  soldier  of  ours,  this 
one  time  patriot,  has  become  infected  with  the  genii 
of  injustice  and  his  soul  is  throbbing  with  it.  Let  him 
speak  it  out, — it  is  his  constitutional  medicine,  and  by 
so  doing,  he  may  yet  cure  himself. 

AMY  :  Doctor,  perhaps  my  view  point  has  been  a  little  nar 
row  and  somewhat  intolerant. 
DR.  REED  :  The  passport  to  wisdom. 
AMY:  Then  there  is  a  cure  for  all  of  us? 
DR.  REED:  Yes,  for  every  sane  patient.     I  have  seen  this 
plague  in  Russia  and  observed  perfectly  normal  men, 
with  normal  wants  and  desires,  driven  by  the  hunger 
for  bread  or  with  desire  for  the  hasty  re-adjustment 
of  things,  and  some  maddened   with   the  memory  of 
those  they  lost,  until  today  Russia  is  chaos.     Infection 
is   no   respecter  of   rank,   society,   or  government.      It 
carries  the  human  body  to  the  door  of  death.     So  does 
it  carry  the  government  to  the  door  of  anarchy.  Like 
all  isms,  it  is  cradled  in  the  far  back  tradition  of  ideal 
ism. 

AMY:  Could  idealism  foster  such  a  monster? 
DR.  REED:  It  is  not  the  fault  of  the  thought  as  much  as  of 
the  men,  the  times  and  the  circumstances  that  offered 
it  opportunity  for  its  immediate  power.  The  word 
itself  means  majority — the  majority  of  the  radical 
wing  of  the  socialist  or  the  left  movement  in  Russia. 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  11 

Under  the  tyranny  of  the  Czar,  they  were  idealists.  In 
possession  of  power,  they  become  the  worst  of  tyrants, 
— an  idealism  gone  wild. 

AMY  :  Is  there  no  hope,  no  redemption  ? 

DR.  REED:  There  is  always  a  hope  for  the  reclaiming  of  a 
lost  soul. 

AMY:  But  miracles  are  not  of  this  age. 

DR.  REED  :  This  is  an  age  of  reason.  Bolshevism  once  stood 
for  evolution,  the  slow  natural  trend  toward  progress, 
but  it  has  become  a  revolution  toward  the  great  evolu 
tion  instead  of  the  evolution  toward  the  great  revolu 
tion.  So  you  see,  my  dear,  a  bad  case  of  infection. 
But  here  in  America,  it  is  the  first  touch  of  a  fresh 
scratch  and  our  young  soldier  friend  has  the  taint. 

AMY  :  I  want  to  hear  more  of  this  but  I  fear  it  is  impolite 
to  leave  our  company  for  so  long. 
(Enter  Justin.} 

JUSTIN  :  Well,  the  job  is  done. 

DR.  REED:  (To  Amy}  Amy. 

AMY:  I  beg  your  pardon.    Your  name  please? 

JUSTIN  :  Justin. 

AMY:  (Extending  her  hand.}  I  am  pleased  to  know  you. 
Dr.  Reed,  Mr.  Justin. 

DR.  REED  :  How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Justin.  (They  shake  hands.) 

JUSTIN  :  Doctor,  I  am  glad  to  meet  you.  I  have  been  read 
ing  a  Doctor  Reed's  book  on  Russia. 

DR.  REED  :  I  am  the  man.  I  understand  you  have  seen  duty 
overseas. 

JUSTIN  :  Yes,  for  nearly  fourteen  months. 

DR.  REED  :  And  I  take  it  you  were  in  action  ? 

JUSTIN  :  Yes,  Doctor.  I  saw  some  action  in  the  Argonne 
Forest,  and  at  one  sector  of  Verdun,  and  had  a  peep 
at  it  in  Italy. 


12  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

DR.  REED  :  Have  you  been  wounded  ? 

JUSTIN:  Yes,  peppered  a  little  twice,  besides  tasting  their 
mustard. 

DR.  REED:  Did  you  leave  this  country  as  a  sergeant? 

JUSTIN  :  I  got  my  chevrons  over  there  for  a  bit  of  good 
luck  at  Argonne  but  that  don't  do  a  fellow  much  good 
now,  medals,  rewards,  and  bravery. 

DR.  REED:  Miss  Fulsom  infers  that  you  are  a  student  of 
politics. 

JUSTIN:  No,  but  I  am  of  economics,  the  mother  field  of 
politics. 

DR.  REED  :  Please  don't  think  me  inquisitive,  but  may  I  ask, 
are  your  views  pronounced?     By  the  way,  why  not  be 
seated  ? 
(Justin  takes  a  seat.    All  are  seated.} 

AMY  :  How  thoughtless  of  me  not  to  have  asked  you  before. 

JUSTIN:  Why,  of  course.  I  have  nothing  to  conceal.  I 
am  with  no  party.  I  disbelieve  in  all  political  parties, 
which  are  either  capitalistic  or  profess  proletarianism 
under  the  guise  of  capitalistic  methods.  I  am  for  direct 
action.  The  government  is  in  need  of  complete  re 
generation. 

DR.  REED  :  Then  shall  we  have  here  chaos  like  that  of 
Europe?  Shall  we  have  Spartacus  rebellions,  Soviet 
revolutions,  with  their  daily  slaughter  of  the  innocent 
and  helpless?  Shall  we  have  their  graft,  debauchery, 
and  bloodshed?  Shall  we  just  have  a  storm  center,  and 
after  the  storm,  what? 

JUSTIN:  Doctor,  but  what  before  the  storm?  Hungry  men 
may  fear  the  law  but  they  are  no  respecters  of  it. 

DR.  REED  :  Quite  right,  Mr.  Justin,  but  do  you  stop  to  think 
that  when  you  are  hungry,  you  cannot  satiate  your 
hunger  by  preaching  against  a  condition  that  brings 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  13 

about  hunger?  The  first  natural  and  rational  impulse 
is  to  feed  yourself  and  provide  against  a  condition 
where  hunger  shall  not  make  itself  known.  An  insane 
man,  though  hungry,  may  refuse  to  eat.  A  rational 
man,  never. 

JUSTIN  :  Yes,  that  is  right,  Doctor,  but  when  a  babe  is  hun 
gry,  it  cries  out.  It  recognizes  the  presence  of  no 
guests,  no  hour  of  the  night,  or  the  occasion  of  no 
event.  The  babe  makes  its  hunger  known  by  its  cries, 
and  shall  we,  just  because  we  are  grown-ups,  not  cry 
out?  So,  I  am  crying  out  against  a  damnable  condition 
that  has  brought  about  in  me  a  hunger  for  justice  or 
rather  a  resentment  against  injustice. 

DR.  REED:  You  are  quite  right,  quite  right,  Mr.  Justin.  I 
quite  agree  with  you.  Perhaps  I  agree  more  than  you 
think  for  I  have  lived  in  it  for  four  years.  I  have 
seen  all  the  horrors  of  the  old  injustice,  and  all  those 
of  the  new  justice.  I  have  seen  men  beheaded,  exe 
cuted,  because  they  were  deemed  arch-tyrants  of  a  past 
tyrannical  government,  and  have  seen  the  very  men 
who  fought  against  that  tyranny,  who  beheaded  the 
tyrants  in  the  name  of  justice,  become  more  tyrannical, 
more  oppressive,  than  the  tyrants  of  the  old  regime.  I 
say  these  things  because  men  thinking  in  terms  of 
hunger  may  become  beasts.  Power  is  the  first  lust  of 
life  and  beasts  have  nothing  but  lust.  When  we  find 
that  in  man,  it  expresses  itself  in  destruction,  in  the 
taking  of  life,  with  nothing  gained  or  accomplished. 

AMY  :  Doctor,  I  am  so  glad  you  are  here  for  you  are  able 
to  answer  Mr.  Justin. 

DR.  REED:  (Patting  Amy  on  the  hand.}  But  you  should  be 
able  to  answer  for  yourself.  You  see  there  is  a  good 
deal  in  what  this  young  man  says.  We  are  suffering 


14  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

from  injustice  as  I  have  already  said,  and  we  feel  the 
first  scratch  in  this  country.  Mr.  Justin  is  right,  the 
spirit  of  unrest  is  here.  There  is  a  growing  restless 
ness  against  this  injustice — social  and  industrial,  and  it 
must  be  remedied,  but  it  will  not  be  remedied  by  class 
hatred,  by  their  drifting  apart.  I  should  say  that 
Bolshevists  are  the  extremists,  which  includes  many 
of  our  rich.  You,  Amy,  with  your  society  are  Bol 
shevists. 

AMY:  Really,  Doctor,  how— 

DR.  REED:  In  that  you  think  only  in  terms  of  yourself  and 
your  society  and  stand  ready  to  destroy  any  inter 
ference  incompatible  with  your  society.  Yet  you  are 
intolerant  against  every  other  order  of  society.  The 
lady  in  the  next  block  whose  husband  chanced  to  pick 
up  a  fortune  because  of  the  war,  knocks  at  the  door  of 
your  social  set.  You  refuse  her  because  she  is  a  new 
comer,  a  parvenu.  She  becomes  a  radical  against  your 
order  of  society,  hungering  for  a  social  recognition 
which  she  thinks  your  society  is  capable  of  giving  her. 
If  she  cannot  possess  it,  she  at  least  will  try  to  destroy 
it — a  natural  human  impulse — and  if  it  were  possible 
to  have  a  social  rank  higher  than  yourself,  you  likewise 
would  be  radical  toward  that  set.  The  spirit  of  in 
justice  runs  through  all  strata  of  life.  It  is,  in  fact, 
discontent.  In  a  way,  it  is  the  soul  of  life  for  it  is 
the  meat  upon  which  ambition  feeds.  Those  below 
desire  to  go  up.  Those  at  the  very  height  desire  to 
keep  others  from  reaching  their  height.  So  you  are 
both  extremists  and  as  we  now  understand  it,  neither 
builds  nor  constructs. 
AMY:  Doctor,  what  is  your  program? 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  15 

DR.  REED  :  The  only  remedy — disinfect  the  scratch  with 
the  dioxygen  of  common  and  mutual  understanding  and 
love. 

JUSTIN  :  You  are  quite  right,  Doctor.  We  must  have  under 
standing.  People  must  know  each  other  and  to  know 
each  other,  they  must  understand  each  other's  lives. 

AMY:  But  how  is  it  possible  to  understand  the  lives  of  all 
people  ? 

DR.  REED:  There  unconsciously,  Mr.  Justin,  you  have  hit 
the  nail  on  the  head  and  Amy,  you  too  have  opened  the 
way  to  what  represents  a  possible  solution.  Gorky, 
who  always  spoke  as  a  hungry  man  to  the  hungry,  in 
one  of  his  short  stories,  says :  "Multitudes  of  them 
crowded  together,  elbowing  each  other  while  there  is 
so  much  room  on  earth.  Is  a  man  really  born  for 
nothing  else  but  to  pick  the  ground  and  t^die  not  even 
having  picked  a  grave  for  himself?  DOTT^S^  know 
what  freedom  is?  Does  he  understand  the  vasffca^of 
the  steppe?  Does  the  murmur  of  the  wave  gladdeh^ls 
heart  ?  No !  He  is  a  slave,  in  slavery  born,  and  a 
slave  he  remains  all  his  life."  "How  is  it  possible  not 
to  believe  a  man?"  Konovalov,  the  baker  and  vagrant, 
remarks  after  hearing  an  obviously  untrue  story.  "Even 
if  you  see  he  is  lying,  believe  him,  that  is  to  say,  listen 
and  try  to  understand  why  he  is  lying.  A  lie  sometimes 
explains  a  man  much  better  than  the  truth.  And  in 
general,  what  truth  can  we  tell  about  ourselves?  The 
meanest  one.  Whereas  a  lie  is  always  pleasant." 

AMY  :  I  do  not  quite  see  the  application. 

DR.  REED  :  A  man  on  the  hill-top  seldom  understands  or 
sees  the  one  down  below  in  the  valley,  and  he  in  the 
valley  seldom  understands  or  sees  him  on  the  hilltop. 
You,  Amy,  cannot  understand  the  hungry  soul  made 


16  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

hungrier  by  a  hungry  stomach,  of  the  little  girl  strug 
gling  in  the  sweat-shop,  and  the  girl  in  the  sweat-shop 
is  unable  to  understand  you.  You  are  both  far  apart. 
There  must  come  an  understanding  and  in  order  to 
have  that  understanding,  we  must  not  only  read  of  our 
neighbors  and  lie  about  ourselves,  but  we  must  in  part 
experience  theirs  and  fearlessly  tell  the  unpleasant 
truths  about  ourselves.  The  flower  of  love  can  only 
blossom  in  the  fields  of  common  understanding.  Mr. 
Justin  is  quite  right.  There  is  social  injustice.  And 
before  we  can  criticise  it  correctly,  we  must  not  only 
see  and  understand  the  social  environs  of  the  toiler, 
but  we  must  understand  our  own  social  environs. 

AMY  :  Doctor,  I  am  still  waiting  for  the  remedy. 

DR.  REED  :  That  is  very  simple.  I  will  prescribe  the  medi 
cine  for  both.  (Taking  tiuo  theatre  tickets  from  his 
pocket.}  Mr.  Justin,  here  are  two  seats  for  the  opera 
tomorrow  evening — Caruso  in  Aida  at  the  Metro 
politan.  Take  with  you  whom  you  please. 

JUSTIN:  I  thank  you,  Doctor,  but  what  has  that  to  do  with 
social  injustice?  You  know  I  do  not  believe  in  patent 
medicines. 

DR.  REED:  Oh,  I  did  not  think  you  believed  me  a  quack. 
(He  waved  his  hand  to  silence  Justin  ivho  wanted  to 
speak}.  You  are  like  all  extremists,  impatient.  Life 
was  not  born  of  impatience.  Your  doctrine  seeks  to 
disrupt  life  and  expresses  itself  in  terms  of  impatience. 
All  infection  is  impatient  to  spread  out.  I  just  want 
you  to  hear  the  opera  and  see  the  audience  and  take 
with  you  a  pair  of  tolerant  glasses.  I  hope  we  shall 
meet  again. 

AMY  :  That  is  right,  Doctor,  if  Mr.  Justin  goes  there  and 
sees  society,  that  will  cure  him  of  his  unfortunate 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  17 

radicalism  and  perhaps  his  glorious  patriotism  will  come 
back  to  him.  I  cannot  help  it  for  as  the  soldier  man, 
I  admire  Mr.  Justin,  but — but — as  the  radical  man, 
I  fear  him,  perhaps  I  dislike  him. 

JUSTIN  :  No. 

DR.  REED:  (laughingly}  Let  me  speak  first.  I  think  you 
are  wrong,  Amy.  The  opera  will  not  fire  him  with  the 
kind  of  emotion  that  you  think  it  will  unless  he  should 
by  chance  acquire  rapidly  a  large  amount  of  wealth 
which  would  make  him  think  in  terms  of  vested  rights 
and  interests.  (Laughs}  I  want  him  to  go  there  for 
the  broader  vision  and  still  greater  understanding  he 
will  gain  of  the  upper  strata  which  he  hates  so  much. 
If  he  is  to  hate,  let  him  do  so  with  his  eyes  wide  open. 
Now,  Amy,  for  your  part,  if  he  keeps  his  promise  and 
attends  the  opera,  some  evening  you  and  I  will  attend 
his  reading  club  and  meet  some  of  his  comrades  and 
listen  to  their  dissertation  upon  Marx,  LaSalle,  and  all 
the  others.  Oh,  yes,  you  may  get  there  a  fine  disser 
tation  upon  Ruskin,  Shaw,  or  Wells.  Am  I  not  right? 
By  the  way,  what  is  the  name  of  your  club? 

JUSTIN  :  United  Social  Workers  Propaganda  Circle  of 
International  Justice. 

DR.  REED:  (To  Amy}  What  an  appropriate  name! 

AMY:  But,  Doctor,  how  can  I  go  there?  Whom  shall  we 
meet  there? 

DR.  REED:  Never  mind,  Amy.  I  shall  escort  you.  Is  it 
a  bargain,  Mr.  Justin? 

JUSTIN  :  Yes. 

DR.  REED  :  Amy,  is  it  a  bargain  ? 

AMY:  Yes. 

DR.  REED  :  Then  you  each  solemnly  promise  to  visit 
the  social  environs  of  the  other? 


18  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

(The  door  bell  rings  and  Mr.  Fulsom  enters.  He  kisses 
Amy,  shakes  hands  with  the  doctor,  and  apologizes  for 
being  late.  Just  then  Mrs.  Fisher  enters.) 

MRS.  FISHER  :  Why,  hello  Bobby.  You  are,  indeed,  very 
late,  naughty,  naughty  boy. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  I  was  detained.  (Affectionately  clasping 
her  hand.) 

DR.  REED:  Excuse  me,  Mr.  Fulsom.  I  want  you  to  meet 
Mr.  Justin,  the  plumber  who  has  just  made  some  re 
pairs. 

MRS.  FISHER:  A  plumber? 

MR.  FULSOM  :  How  do  you  do.    I  am  glad  to  meet  you. 

(Justin  extends  his  hand  and  Mr.  Fulsom  gives  him  a 
very  cold  handshake.) 

DR.  REED  :  Mrs.  Fisher,  I  want  to  introduce  Mr.  Justin  to 
you. 

MRS.  FISHER:  How  do  you  do. 

JUSTIN:  (Bowing  politely.)  I  am  glad  to  meet  you. 

MRS.  FISHER:  (Sarcastically)  Mr.  Justin,  you  are  going 
to  take  a  hand  at  whist? 

JUSTIN  :  No,  thank  you.     I  don't  waste  my  time  at  cards. 

MRS.  FISHER:  What  do  you  waste  your  time  at? 

JUSTIN  :  I  don't  waste  my  time.  I  do  a  lot  of  reading  in 
my  spare  hours. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  Mr.  Justin,  I  hope  you  are  not  an  agitator. 

DR.  REED:  Let  me  answer  for  Mr.  Justin.  He  is  quite  an 
agitator. 

MRS.  FISHER:  How  shocking;  Come  on,  Robert.  Play  a 
hand  or  two  with  us.  I  hope  that  the  doctor  has  not 
brought  Russian  Bolshevism  with  him  to  this  country, 
and  that  he  will  not  taint  Amy  with  his  ideas.  How 
horrid. 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  19 

(Commotion  and  Donald  McDonald  runs  in,  the  cook 
after  him.    Also  the  butler  and  the  maid  enter.) 

COOK  :  Shure  and  I  am  goin'  to  quit.  Its  me  leave  I  am 
takin. 

AMY:  What  is  the  matter? 

COOK  :  Shure,  and  I  was  tryin  to  encourage  this  red-headed 
stuttering  Scot,  tellin  him  what  a  good  plumber  he  was 
so  he  would  hasten  the  job  and  like  all  them  divils  of 
men,  he  mishtook  me  compliment  for  an  invitation,  and 
kissed  me  without  even  an  introducshun. 

DR.  REED  :  He  evidently  believes  in  direct  action.  He,  too, 
is  a  regular  Bolsheviki.  Ha !  Ha !  and  takes  things 
without  even  giving  anything  in  return. 

COOK:  Bolsheviki,  is  he?    He  is  not  even  a  respicfc^He  Sinn 
Feiner. 
(Enter  Harold  Kingston.)  ^tf, 

KINGSTON  :  My,  how  horrid.    I  say,  is  this  a  kitchen  party?  .f 
(Curtain  goes  down.) 

(Curtain  rises.     Mr.  Fulsom,  Amy,  Mrs.  Fisher,  and 
Dr.  Reed  on  the  stage  remonstrating  with  one  another.) 

(CURTAIN.) 


ACT  II 


ACT  II 

Scene :  Private  office  of  Mr.  Fulsom.  A  big  mob  in 
the  street  is  held  in  order  by  the  police.  Amy  comes  in 
excitedly  and  nervously  takes  the  telephone. 

AMY:  Give  me  operator.     Operator,  Plaza  9150. 

(Enter  Mrs.  Fisher  and  Harold  Kingston.     Amy  sees 
them  and  hangs  up  the  receiver.) 

AMY:  I  was  just  trying  to  get  your  home,  Mildred.  I  can 
not  go  to  the  matinee  this  afternoon. 

MRS.  FISHER  :  Goodness,  gracious,  me.  What  is  the  matter  ? 
Harold  is  to  take  us  both  to  luncheon  and  then  to  the 
matinee.  I  rang  up  your  home  and  was  told  that  you 
were  here  and  so  we — 

KINGTON  :  Yes,  and  we  had  a  deuced  time  getting  here. 
What's  all  the  mob  about?  It  took  five  minutes  for 
the  policemen  to  clear  the  crowd  so  that  our  motor 
could  stop  in  front  of  the  office — The  police  are  actual 
ly  guarding  it. 

AMY  :  Don't  you  read  the  papers  ?  There  is  a  general  strike 
today.  Really,  Mildred,  I  cannot  go.  Sorry,  but  I  am 
going  to  stay  right  here. 

MRS.  FISHER:  If  you  are  expecting  trouble,  we  had  better 
get  away  from  here.  Why  be  around  when  there  is 
anything  nasty  going  on,  I  say — 

KINGSTON:  That  is  what  I  say.  Why  be  bothered?  Come, 
Amy,  have  luncheon  with  us.  (Looks  at  her  attentive- 

ly.} 

AMY  :  No,  I  cannot,  I  cannot.  You  both  go,  but  excuse  me. 
I  want  to  be  here. 


24  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

MRS.  FISHER  :  Well,  I  guess  we  had  better  go,  Harold.  There 
is  no  use  spoiling  another  perfectly  good  day.  (Turn 
ing  to  Amy.}  I  hope  you  are  not  trying  to  take  part  in 
the  settlement  of  this  strike.  That's  a  job  for  the 
police. 

AMY:  (With  a  smile)  That  used  to  be  the  way. 

MRS.  FISHER:  Ever  since  that  plumber  man  was  at  the 
house  and  the  opera,  there  is  something  mysterious. 
That  exchange  of  greetings  at  the  opera !  How  plebeian 
of  you !  Harold  never  got  such  a  greeting  from  you, 
did  you,  Harold? 

KINGSTON:  I  wish  I  could.  (Looking  at  Amy,  but  Amy  is 
looking  away) 

MRS.  FISHER  :  And  of  late  you  go  out  constantly  with  that 
Dr.  Reed  to  lectures  and  slumming,  or  as  your  father 
says  you  call  it,  constructive  work.  You  are  not  your 
self.  Your  dressmaker  is  in  tears.  What  constructive 
work  is  there  for  a  woman  except  her  face  and  figure  ? 

KINGSTON  :  Very  clever.  Very  clever. 

AMY:  Maybe  so.  Maybe  so,  but  please — 

(A  knock  at  the  door.     Office  boy  enters,  announcing 
Mr.  Justin.) 

AMY:  Let  him  in.  (Exit  office  boy.) 

MRS.  FISHER  :  Harold,  we  had  better  be  going. 

KINGSTON  :  The  brass  of  that  plumber  man. 

(Justin  enters.    He  bows  to  Mrs.  Fisher  and  Mr.  King 
ston.) 

JUSTIN  :  How  do  you  do,  Miss — 

AMY:  (Restraining  herself  for  the  moment.)  How  do  you 
do,  Mr.  Justin. 

MRS.  FISHER  :  Well,  good-bye,  Amy.    We'll  see  you  soon. 

KINGSTON  :  Yes,  good-bye,  Amy.     We'll  see  you  soon. 

AMY  :  Good-bye. 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

„.,    •  'v*k. 
(Exit  Mrs.  Fisher  and  Mr.  Kingston,  both  ignoring 

Mr.  Justin.  Amy  extends  her  hand  affectionately  to 
Justin.  Justin  straightens  himself  and  gives  Amy  his 
hand  but  with  a  troubled  look  on  his  face.) 

JUSTIN  :  So  it  is  you  who  wanted  to  see  me. 

AMY:  William,  yes,  I  must  see  you. 

JUSTIN  :  The  voice  at  the  phone  claimed  to  be  Mr.  Fulsom's 
secretary.  She  said  that  Mr.  Fulsom  wanted  to  see  me 
alone  half  an  hour  before  the  time  set  for  the  meeting 
and  to  come  ahead,  without  my  committee. 

AMY  :  Yes,  I  know.  I  sent  that  message.  I  wanted  to  see 
you. 

JUSTIN:  But  do  you  realize  what  you  have  done? 

AMY:  No,  what? 

JUSTIN  :  You  have  compromised  me. 

AMY:  How? 

(Justin  looks  sternly  at  her.  He  turns  and  raises  the 
window.  The  crowd  shouts,  "Hurrah  for  Billy 
Justin."  "We  zvant  a  living  wage.  Three  cheers  for 
Billy.  Who's  all  right?  Justin."  He  closes  the  win 
dow.) 

JUSTIN  :  That  crowd  has  faith  in  me.  The  committee  be 
lieves  in  me.  When  that  message  came,  the  first  thought 
was  that  perhaps  Mr.  Fulsom  was  trying  to  strike  a 
secret  bargain  with  me,  to  play  unfair — to  sell  out  the 
unfortunates  for  whom  I  am  fighting. 

AMY:  No,  Father  would  not  do  that. 

JUSTIN  :  Don't  say  that.     In  business,  as  in  war,  all  is  fair. 

AMY  :  But  I  am  sorry  for  I  sent  for  you.  Father  knows 
nothing  of  it. 

JUSTIN  :  So  I  immediately  summoned  my  committee  and 
told  them  of  the  message,  that  I  would  not  come  alone, 
that  it  was  some  trap,  some  scheme,  but  the  committee 


26  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

decided  against  my  protest,  and  said  that  it  would  come 
with  me  and  remain  below  in  order  that  the  crowd 
would  not  suspect  me  for  entering  alone.  And  I  am 
here. 

AMY  :  But  surely  you  would  not  be  afraid  to  come  and 
meet  Father  alone? 

JUSTIN  :  Under  normal  circumstances,  no.  Under  these 
terrible  conditions,  yes.  Crowds  are  suspicious  bodies. 
They  are  swayed  this  way  and  that.  They  beat  against 
one  shore,  then  against  the  other. 

AMY:  But,  William,  I  sent  for  you  because  I  feared  some 
harm  would  come  to  you. 

JUSTIN:  Harm,  what  harm?  I  fear  no  harm. 

AMY  :  I  know,  Will,  but  I  feel  that  something  will  happen ; 
that  the  employers'  association  will  not  stand  for  your 
demands.  They  say  you  are  the  brains  of  this  move 
ment.  That  with  you  out  of  the  way,  it  would  collapse. 

JUSTIN  :  I  appreciate  the  compliment  but  in  our  ranks,  there 
are  multitudes  of  others  to  take  my  place. 

AMY:  They  don't  think  so.  I  don't  want  to  see  the  men 
lose.  I  know  their  grievances  are  many.  I  have  come 
to  understand  better  and  I  believe  in  some  of  the  things 
you  are  trying  to  do.  But  they  have  planned  to  arrest 
you,  to  get  you  out  of  the  way,  and  I — don't  want  any 
harm  to  come  to  you. 

JUSTIN:  (Looking  at  her.)  I  am  certainly  most  grateful.  It 
was  very  thoughtful,  but  I  am  here  to  stand  my 
ground.  I  must. 

AMY  :  No,  Will,  you  must  not.  I  have  planned  it  all  out.  I 
mean  it  for  the  best.  Go.  Go.  It's  only  for  a  little 
while  'till  it  blows  over.  I'll  help  you.  (Takes  out  a 
roll  of  money.)  See  it  is  my  own. 

JUSTIN  :  You  offer  me  money.    I  suppose  it  is  marked,  too. 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

AMY:  Why,  Will,  you  don't  believe— You  don't  think. 

JUSTIN  :  By  God,  I  do.  Go  away  and  desert  these  poor 
unfortunates!  I — I  was  beginning  to  think  that  you, 
though  born  and  reared  in  riches,  had  understanding, 
soul,  sympathy.  That  under  the  guidance  of  Dr.  Reed, 
you  were  fast  learning.  And  I  too,  the  understanding 
of  a  higher  womanhood.  I  had  begun  to  regard  you 
as  the  ministering  angel,  to  lead  and  help,  loved  by 
everybody,  yes,  everybody.  So  it  is  a  money  bargain? 
A  pretty  little  trap  you  have  prepared.  A  fine  leader 
you  would  make  of  me. 

AMY:  Will,  Will,  you  don't  know  what  you  are  talking 
about. 

JUSTIN  :  Perhaps  not.  But  you  would  make  of  me — the 
most  dispicable  name  in  all  history  was  Judas  who  be 
trayed  for  money.  Every  man,  woman,  and  child  would 
point  their  fingers  at  me  and  say,  "There  goes  the 
man  who  sold  us  out." 

AMY:  Oh,  William! 

JUSTIN  :  A  pretty  smile  and  a  bag  of  gold.  The  same  old 
game  in  the  same  old  way. 

AMY  :  Mr.  Justin :  How  dare  you !  Mine  has  only  been  a 
personal  interest.  I  wanted  to  spare  you  the  humiliation 
of  arrest. 

JUSTIN:  Arrest!  What  are  jails  when  liberty  is  shut  in  and 
freedom  denied? 

AMY  :  Well,  what  can  I  do  ?  I  swear  that  I  did  not  mean  to 
do  it,  that  I  had  no  thought  of  compromise.  (Justin 
ponders.}  But  what  shall  we  do? 

JUSTIN  :  You  and  I  must  walk  down  out  of  the  office  and  on 
the  street — you  to  your  automobile  and  I  to  the  com 
mittee  that  awaits  me. 


28  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

AMY  :  Yes,  Will,  but  promise  me  that  you  will  not  be  reck 
less. 

JUSTIN  :  I  promise  to  do  my  full  duty,  but  I  must  tell  all 
that  has  happened  here  to  the  committee. 

AMY:  Then  you  compromise  me? 

JUSTIN  :  No,  it  is  better  that  we  speak  the  truth.    If  by  the 
truth  we  fall,  it  cannot  be  helped.    Come. 
(Exit  Amy  and  Justin.    Enter  detective,  business  plac 
ing  a  dictograph.    Detective  tries  out  dictograph.) 

DETECTIVE:  (Speaking)  All  right.  We  have  come  here  to 
demand  our  full  rights.  If  not,  a  bomb  shall  blow  up 
the  whole  works.  Report,  read. 

(Enter  man  with  note  book  and  reads  as  both  walk 
out.  Enter  Mr.  Fulsom.  Looks  over  mail.  Telephone 
rings. ) 

MR.  FULSOM:  (At  the  phone)  Hello!  Oh,  yes,  that  you, 
Mildred?  Yes.  Yes.  Yes.  What  is  it?  Yes.  Don't 
worry.  Yes.  I'll  handle  the  situation  all  right.  Yes. 
Ha!  Ha!  So  you  don't  want  me  to  banquet  these 
laborites !  Ha !  Ha !  Yes.  Very  clever.  What  do 
you  deserve  for  that  clever  line?  Well,  what  do  you 
want?  Yes.  Oh,  well,  yes.  I  know  you  are  not  beg 
ging.  Yes.  No.  No.  Leave  it  to  me.  What's  that? 
Amy  and  that  Justin  man  in  the  office!  Yes.  I 
won't  say  you  told  me.  I'll  take  care  of  the  situation. 
Bye-bye. 

(Enter  office  boy  with  cards.) 
MR.  FULSOM:     Send  them  in.     (Exit  office  boy.) 

(Enter  committee  of  employers,  Messrs.  Lamb,  Words 
worth,  Johnston  and  Compton.) 
MR.  LAMB  :     Good  afternoon,  Mr.  Fulsom. 
FULSOM  :     Good  afternoon,  Mr.  Lamb.     How  are  you  all  ? 
(Shaking  each  by  the  hand.)     Won't  you  be  seated? 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  29 

(Men  fake  seats.     Mr.  Fulsom  passes  the  cigars.} 

WORDSWORTH  :     No,  thanks.     I  don't  smoke. 

JOHNSTON:  (Who  is  a  little  deaf.}  My,  my,  what  a  howl 
ing  mob  out  there,  the  like  of  which  I  never  heard  be 
fore. 

COMPTON  :  (A  man  of  large  physique,  rising  out  of  his 
seat  and  pounding  the  desk  with  his  fist.}  Well,  if 
that  mob  or  any  other  mob  thinks  they'll  make  me  do 
anything  against  my  free  will,  or  surrender  my  con 
stitutional  right  to  do  with  my  business  and  men  as 
I  damn  feel,  I  want  to  see  it. 

JOHNSTON  :    Yes,  I  want  to  hear  it  too. 

FULSOM  :  Gentlemen,  the  situation  is  grave,  very  grave. 
Industry  is  at  a  complete  standstill,  our  investments 
are  jeopardized  and  the  government  at  Washington, 
growing  more  paternalistic  every  hour,  insists  that  in 
the  interest  of  industrial  peace,  we  avoid  a  repetition 
of  European  upheavals  and  that  we  conciliate  where- 
ever  possible  and  you  know  what  that  means.  We  pay. 

LAMB  :  Those  Washington  politicians  would  soon  have 
us  give  up  all  our  profits  and  fix  for  us  a  measly  salary 
for  the  pleasure  of  running  the  business.  It's  got  so 
that  a  wage  is  more  respectable  than  a  salary  and  those 
labor  fellows  have  got  the  government  scared  out  of  all 
reason. 

JOHNSTON:     I  just  came  from  Washington  and  I  did  not 
hear  it. 
(Enter  office  boy  announcing  the  labor  committee.} 

FULSOM  :  Ask  them  to  come  in.  (Exit  office  boy}  Gentle 
men,  I  think  we  had  better  be  diplomatic,  a  little  deli 
cate  about  the  situation,  listen  to  their  nonsense. 
To  pacify  Washington,  we  can  afford  to  make  some 


30  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

minor  concessions.  When  the  actual  carrying  out  of 
the  program  is  sought,  that  is  different.  I  feel  that  the 
government  is  with  us  and  we  can  still  rely  on  the 
courts  to  protect  our  interests. 

COMPTON  :  Courts  or  machine  guns.  I  am  for  quick  action. 
(Enter  Justin,  Sandy,  Mendel,  Gallici,  Schmidt. 
Pause.} 

JUSTIN  :  Mr.  Fulsom,  how  do  you  do.  Gentlemen,  let  us 
introduce  ourselves  to  one  another  and  know  each 
other  by  our  names. 

FULSOM  :       Why,  yes.     This  is  Mr.  Justin,  Gentlemen. 

JUSTIN:  Gentlemen,  my  associates  are  McDonald,  Mendel, 
Gallici,  and  Schmidt. 

FULSOM  :  Permit  me  to  present  Mr.  Lamb,  Mr.  Words 
worth,  Mr.  Johnston  and  Mr.  Compton. 

JOHNSTON:     (To  Sandy}   I  did  not  quite  get  your  name. 

SANDY:  Ah — ah — • 

JUSTIN  :    Well  this  makes  for  democracy. 

COMPTON  :     Satisfying  to  me  if  that's  all  you  want. 

(All  are  seated.     Fulsom   opens   box  of   cigars  with 

union  label,  and  passes  them  to  labor  committee.} 

SANDY:  Ah — ah —  (Taking  two, — one  of  which  he  puts  in 
his  mouth  and  the  other  in  his  pocket.} 

JUSTIN  :  Very  thoughtful,  and  the  union  label  too. 

SCHMIDT:  (A  typical  German,  speaking  with  a  decided 
accent.}  Bah  mit  dem  union  labels.  Ve  is  for  a 
sthronger  kind  of  a  union.  Ve  don't  care  for  dem 
fake  unions.  Gompers  capitalistic  American  Federa 
tion  of  Labor — capitalistic  unions. 

JOHNSTON:  Did  I  hear  you  say  you  don't  care  for  unions? 
Well,  now,  you  are  talking.  You  are  talking.  I'll  hear 
that. 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  31 

MENDEL:  (A  pronounced  looking  little  Jew,  the  literary  man 
of  the  crowd  who  speaks  without  an  accent.}  You  see 
we  are  class  conscious  proletariats,  recognizing  no  in 
dustrial  differentiation  of  any  degree.  Class  distinction, 
whether  in  industry  or — 

JUSTIN  :  We  ought  not  to  enter  into  a  discussion  of  that 
kind  just  now.  I  am  sure  these  gentlernAt are  not  as 
yet  interested.  "^ 

COMPTON  :  Do  you  not  recognize  the  right  to  propeT0? 

GALLIC:  :  (An  Italian  poet  and  musician,  who  speaks  Tit&th 
Italian  accent.)  No,  no,  de  property.  Property  is  de 
curse  of  civilization.  It  darkens  de  soul,  it  takes  away 
de  music  from  de  song  of  life — de  poetry  from  natures' 
works — 

FULSOM  :  Gentlemen,  let's  get  down  to  business.  As  chair 
man  of  this  meeting,  may  I  ask  that  we  proceed? 

JOHNSTON:  We  see  what? 

SANDY:  Ah — ah — 

(Office  boy  enters  announcing  Dr.  Reed.) 

FULSOM  :  Have  him  come  in. 

(Exit  office  boy.    Dr.  Reed  enters.) 

DR.  REED  :  Good  afternoon,  Mr.  Fulsom.  (Shaking  his 
hand.)  Good  afternoon,  Mr.  Justin.  (Shaking  hands 
very  cordially.)  How  do  you  do,  gentlemen.  Yes,  I 
know  them  all. 

SCHMIDT:  (Scowls  at  Dr.  Reed's  friendship  for  Justin.) 

DR.  REED:  This  is  a  fine  day,  gentlemen,  and  it  surely  is 
good  to  see  capital  and  labor  get  together.  "Get  to 
gether"  is  the  government's  slogan  for  patriotism. 
Misunderstanding  or  the  want  of  understanding  is 
parent  of  most  of  our  differences  and  disputes. 

MENDEL:  Class  distinction,  whether  by  label  or  brand,  re 
ligion  or  creed,  is  a  species  of  competitive  fallacy. 


32  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

DR.  REED:  (Turning  to  Fulsom)  As  chairman  of  this  meet 
ing,  will  you  state  its  purpose? 

FULSOM  :  Dr.  Reed,  since  you  brought  about  this  meeting, 
you  should  state  its  purpose.  The  employers  are  not 
seeking  it.  We  know  of  no  concessions  we  can  in 
good  conscience  be  asked  to  make. 

DR.  REED:  The  government,  when  it  received  intelligence 
of  the  serious  situation  in  our  city,  the  suspension  of 
street  cars,  the  closing  down  of  business,  wired  me  full 
authority  to  act  as  mediator  between  the  various  fac 
tions  of  employers  and  employees,  and  to  bring  about 
a  settlement  if  possible,  a  settlement  by  all  means.  The 
government  is  very  anxious,  very,  to  avert  a  crisis,  and 
gentlemen,  I  hope  you  will  act  sensibly  and  get  to 
gether.  Get  together.  It  is  the  patriotic  thing  to  do. 

SCHMIDT:  The  last  refuge  of  capitalism. 

DR.  REED  :  I  shall  merely  sit  here,  hoping  earnestly  that  you 
will  be  able  to  come  to  an  understanding  without  any 
coercion  on  the  part  of  the  government.  There  will  be 
peace  by  peace,  if  that  is  possible;  if  not,  then  there 
shall  be  peace  by  coercion. 

COMPTON:  Coercion!  Not  me.  I  shall  stand  on  my  con 
stitutional  guarantees.  Where  is  your  Fourteenth 
Amendment?  What's  the  use  of  celebrating  the  Fourth 
of  July. 

DR.  REED:  You  fail  to  understand  that  we  are  no  longer  a 
nation  for  the  individual,  but  individuals  of  and  for 
the  nation. 

MENDEL:  That's  a  highly  centralized  constitutional  patri 
archy,  and  not  an  individualized  unwritten  moral  de 
mocracy  which  is  the  hope  of  our  New  Republic. 

JUSTIN  :  Let's  avoid  any  theoretical  discussion. 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  33 

DR.  REED:  You  are  right,  Mr.  Justin.     I  am  glad  to  hear 

you  say  that.     It  is  practical.      Business,    like    every 

philosophy,  is  a  slow,  tedious  undertaking,  more  of  a 

trench  digging  than  a  word  building  affair. 
SCHMIDT:  Dat  don't  taste  good  to  me.     (Nudging  Mendel 

and  pointing  his  finger  scornfully  at  Dr.  Reed.) 
DR.  REED  :  Let's  get  down  to  business.    With  the  mob  out 

there,  philosophy  avails  us  naught. 
GALLIC:  :  De  rhythm  of  a  surging  sea  of  humanity.     Oh, 

soul  inspiring! 

COMPTON  :  Yes,  and  the  policeman's  club  is — 
SCHMIDT:  De  police  better  not  shtard  anything  like  dat.  De 

proletariat  is  slow  to  shtard,  but  once  he  revolts — 
DR.  REED  :  Gentleman,  I  presume  we  can  begin  our  session 

by  listening  to  suggestions  of  the  various  committees. 
MR.  FULSOM  :  Our  committee  has  no  suggestions  to  offer. 
DR.  REED:  Very  well,  Mr.  Justin,  I  take  it  your  committee 

has  some. 
JUSTIN  :  Mr.  Schmidt  is  secretary  of  our  committee  and  he 

will  read  them. 
SCHMIDT:  (Rising)  I  will  say  by  vay  of  breface  dat  some 

of  de  poinds  ve  may  not  press  so  hard  providing  you 

grand  us  vat  ve  ask  in  de  main. 
COMPTON  ;  Don't  be  so  sure.     Concessions  must  come  from 

your  side. 
JUSTIN  :  Let's  avoid  any  antagonistic  spirit.     After  all,  if 

capital  and  labor  can  get  together  in  the  production, 

why  can't  they  get  together  in  its  enjoyment? 
DR.  REED  :  Splendid,  Justin.    Brilliancy  sailing  on  a  rational 

sea. 
SCHMI-DT  :  Ve  assert  fourteen  poinds.    First,  ve  vand  a  six 

hour  day.     Den  ve  vand  a  minimum  vage  of  ten  dol- 


34  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

lars  per  day  for  men  and  women  alike.     Den  ve  vand 
to  choose  our  own  foreman. 

COMPTON  :  Stop  right  here.  (Pounding  his  fist  on  the 
table.)  Stop  right  here.  You  might  as  well  quit  now. 

SCHMIDT:  Dat  is  not  all  ve  vand — de  employer  to  be  de 
employee  und  de  employee  to  be  de  employer  und  am 
nesty  for  all  political  offenders.  Ve  vand  de  release  of 
Mooney  und — 

JUSTIN:  Excuse  us,  Gentlemen.  (Calls  committee  aside) 
That  is  not  the  program  we  agreed  to  present.  (Com 
mittee  returns  after  heated  discussion  while  employers 
are  seated  and  smiling.) 

SCHMIDT:  Gentlemen,  Justin  und  his  secret  conference 
don't  count  und  ve  sthick  to  de  original  ideas  of  our 
ideals. 

JUSTIN  :  Gentlemen,  I  am  sorry. 

SCHMIDT:  As  chairman,  you  vill  speak  up  for  dat  program 
or — 

JUSTIN  :  Let's  try  to  amicably  adjust  the  strike. 

SCHMIDT:  Vat  do  ve  care  for  de  strike — de  Revolution. 

GALLICI  :  Yes,  de  dream  of  a  soul's  inspiration. 

COMPTON  :  Oh,  hell.  Cut  that  out.  How  much  of  a  raise 
do  you  want? 

DR.  REED:  (To  labor  group.)  Gentlemen,  now  get  down  to 
terms.  Come.  (To  employers'  committee.)  You 
must  make  allowances,  gentlemen.  Be  patient.  The 
government  only  wants  what  is  right. 

SCHMIDT:  (angrily  to  Dr.  Reed.)     Dat's  damned  humbug. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  Gentlemen,  we  are  ready  to  listen  again. 
(All  are  seated  excepting    Schmidt    who   stands    and 
reads:) 

SCHMIDT:  To  be  sure  dat  all  understand,  let  me  read  you 
once  more  vat  I  read  so  far — ve  vand  a  six  hour  day, 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  35 

a  minimum  vage  of  ten  dollars  a  day,  pay  for  men  and 

vomen  alike  in  same  occupations,  choose  our  own  fore 
men,  amnesty  for  all  political  offenders,  und  de  release 

of  Mooney  und — 
JOHNSTON:  The  release  of  money? 
MENDEL:  Yes,  of  money  too.     It  shall  not  be  horded  as  in 

the  capitalistic  system  for  the  oppression  of  the  many 

and  employment  of  the  few,  but  shall  circulate  and  be 

the  communal  property  of  all. 
COMPTON:  Well,  I'll  be    damned.       (Pounding    his    fist.) 

Next  I  suppose  you  will  want   me   to    surrender    my 

business  to  you. 
MENDEL:  Why  not?     In  the  co-operative  commonwealth, 

there  will  be  no  such  thing  as  private  property. 
JUSTIN  :  Gentlemen,  we  are  ready  to  debate  with  you  every 

one  of  the  points. 
SCHMIDT:   (To  Justin)   Now  you  show  de  true  spirit  of 

de  Soviet  und  Spartacus. 
FULSOM  :  I  am  afraid  there  is    nothing   here    for    debate. 

Without  further  conference  we  now  and  here  turn  down 

every  one  of  your  demands  in  toto. 
COMPTON  :  Oh,  hell,  with  this  damned  nonsense.     I  move 

we  adjourn. 
SCHMIDT:  You  better  not  adjourn.    De  hungry  crowd  vill 

vand  to  know  de  results. 
COMPTON:  (Shaking  his  fist.)     Is  that  a  threat?    Do  you 

think  me  a  mollycoddle?    If  it  is  grape  shot  you  want, 

we  are  ready  for — 

JUSTIN:   So  you  are  the  advocate  of  violence? 
COMPTON  :  Yes,  I  would  shoot  down  every  damn  agitator 

at  sunrise. 

JUSTIN  :  And  every  exploiter  at  sundown. 
LAMB:  I  second  the  motion  to  adjourn. 


36  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

DR.  REED:  Gentlemen,  gentlemen,  please  calm  yourselves 
and  remain  seated.  Withdraw  your  motion  for  the 
time  being. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  I  have  recognized  no  motions. 

DR.  REED:  Then  remain? 

MR.  FULSOM  :  Yes,  Doctor,  we  will  remain  out  of  respect 
for  you. 

DR.  REED:  I  have  let  you  all  have  your  say  and  remained 
silent.  I  am  afraid  neither  side  understands  nor  de 
sires  to  understand  the  other. 

COMPTON  :  (Pounding  the  table  with  his  fist.)  Why,  the 
idea  of  our  listening  to  their  fourteen  points  of 
anarchy. 

JUSTIN  :  They  merely  balance  your  fourteen  points  of  cap 
italistic  oppression. 

DR.  REED  :  If  you  have  come  here  to  fight  out  the  merits  of 
your  respective  notions  of  society,  I  fear  you  will  never 
agree  for  your  understanding  of  their  fundamentals 
are  as  different  as  the  fundamentals  themselves.  We 
are  not  here  at  the  request  of  the  government  to 
revolutionize. 

SCHMIDT:  Why  not  de  Revolution  now? 

DR.  REED:  We  are  here  to  concilliate.  The  mob  outside 
represents  the  fever.  It  is  always  best  to  reduce  the 
fever  before  one  operates.  Mobs  never  build  or  ac 
complish — only  destroy  and  devastate.  Gentlemen,  what 
we  want,  what  we  need  is  to  get  together.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  the  high  cost  of  living  necessitates  a  higher 
wage  and  the  inability  to  house  and  clothe  and  feed 
properly  by  reason  of  it  has  whipped  scorn  into  fury. 
The  dollar  now  has  only  a  thirty  cent  purchasing 
power.  Let  us,  therefore  agree  as  sensible  men  on  a 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  37 

minimum  wage.     That  after  all  is  the    basis    of    con 
ferences  between  labor  and  capital.     Let's  be  practical. 
MENDEL:  Oh,  a  regular   auction.      How   much    is   human 

energy  worth? 
DR.  REED  :  In  holding  fast  to  your  theorems,  which  are  not 

even  acceptable  to  the    best    of    learned    minds,    Mr. 

Mendel,    you    overlook    the    practical,    the    immediate 

point. 
MENDEL  :  Business  is  business.     What  we  want  is  economic 

independence  of  the  proletariat  and  his  political  and 

social  Internationale. 
DR.  REED  :  As  mediator,  I  shall  insist  that  we  stick  to  the 

things  for  which  we  have  met,  for    which    alone    we 

should  seek  a  practical,  sane  and  reasonable  solution 

of  the  wage  and  hour  problem. 
SCHMIDT;  Veil,  veil,  let  us  see  vid  your  practibility  vat  you 

do? 
GALLICI  :  Practical — how  he  kills  de  soul  of  de  poet — his 

stomach.     Stomach,  forget  de  heart — de  stomach. 
DR.  REED  :  I  desire  to  undertake  to  do  that  which  I  hoped 

you  men  yourselves  would  do. 
FULSOM  :  We  are  quite  willing  to  follow  you  in  your  plans, 

not  saying  we  will  accept  them. 
JUSTIN  :  And  we  are  quite  willing  to  accept  them  though  we 

may  not  follow  them. 
SCHMIDT:  Ve  accept  nodings — ve  follow  nodings — only  vat 

is  in  accordance  vid  de  universal  demands  of  de  Soviets 

of  de  world. 
DR.  REED  :  To  get  to  a  practical  conclusion,  I  am  first  going 

to  call  upon  the  committee  of  employers  to  furnish  me 

with  the   following  figures   for  the  fiscal  year  ending 

December  1st,  last,  of  the  total  receipts  from  various 

sources  in  their  industry,  of  course.  Second,  the  total 


,38  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

salaries  of  officers.  Third,  the  total  wage.  Fourth, 
the  total  and  itemized  other  expenses.  Fifth,  the 
capital  stock  (a)  actual  (b)  watered.  Sixth,  the 
dividends  paid. 

COMPTON  :  You  don't  mean  you  are  going  to  stick  your 
nose  in  our  business? 

DR.  REED:  The  government  will  stick  its  nose  into  any 
business  if  it  finds  it  essential,  and  the  government's 
nostrils  are  trained  to  withstand  any  stench. 

COMPTON  :  Do  you  mean  the  government  has  a  right  to 
interfere  in  my  personal  affairs.  Oh,  hell. 

DR.  REED:  The  government  does  so  now  when  it  examines 
your  books  to  ascertain  how  much  income  tax  you  shall 
pay.  Surely  it  is  inquisitorial,  but  it  is  necessary,  you 
do  not  deny.  So  the  government  has  the  same  right  to 
look  into  your  private  affairs  to  see  what  wage  you 
shall  pay.  The  government  is  not  now  and  the  war 
we  fought  was  not  for  profits  but  for  humanity — the 
new  conception  of  humanity.  Men,  not  dividends 
make  the  nation ;  men,  not  dividends,  won  the  war 
for  democracy,  and  men  and  not  dividends  shall  be  the 
beneficiaries  of  this  war. 

COMPTON  :  These  are  fine  sentiments,  but  how  about  prop 
erty  and  business  ? 

DR.  REED  :  The  government  does  not  seek  to  take  your 
business  from  you  but  does  undertake  from  now  on 
that  you  shall  not  use  your  business  oppressively.  You 
own  your  building,  yet  you  may  not  set  it  on  fire.  You 
have  no  right  to  use  your  property  for  the  possible 
ends  of  injuring  other  property. 

COMPTON:  How  about  life? 

DR.  REED:  The  same — you  cannot  do  with  your  life  as  you 
will.  Attempted  suicide  is  a  crime.  To  live  a  life  that 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  39 

shall  bring  physical  or  moral  turpitude  is  a  crime. 
Your  sins  shall  not  be  visited  upon  your  progeny.  That 
is  why  the  law  steps  in,  because  your  life  must  not  be 
used  to  the  detriment  of  other  life.  That  is  why  we 
have  new  child  and  other  labor  laws. 

SCHMIDT:  Dey  are  humbugs. 

DR.  REED  :  Far  from  humbugs. 

COMPTON  :  See,  even  they  don't  want  them. 

DR.  REED:  Oh  yes  they  do.  Mr.  Schmidt  says  they  are 
humbugs  because  he  believes  the  laws  are  inadequate, 
that  they  are  not  properly  enforced  and  that  is  true, 
but  these  are  mere  human  agencies  which  time  and 
patriotism  will  correct. 

SCHMIDT:  Dat  is  capitalistic,  homeopathic  doses.  Vy  dose 
labor  laws?  Give  us  de  institutions  und  ve  vill  run 
dem  und  you  vill  vork  dem  und  not  as  ve  vork  dem 
und  you  take  all  de  money  und  profits. 

DR.  REED:  Mr.  Schmidt,  you  and  Mr.  Compton  are  as  far 
apart  as  you  can  be — both  extremists  in  your  views 
and  both  present,  impossible  and  rather  anomalous 
entities  in  a  practical  and  rational  age.  Mr.  Compton 
is  a  practical  money  maker  but  he  has  not  concerned 
himself  with  the  bigger  problems  of  life. 

COMPTON  :  Dr.  Reed,  I  don't  take  to  your  compliment  at  all. 
I  understand  my  business. 

DR.  REED:  Of  course  you  do  but  it  is  the  business  of  the 
rest  of  society  which  we  want  you  to  understand. 

SCHMIDT:  Yes,  und  you  don't  understand  us. 

DR.  REED:  And  as  for  you,  Mr.  Schmidt,  you  neither  un 
derstand  your  own  business  nor  the  business  of  any  one 
else. 

SCHMIDT:  I  like  dat.     Vat  do  you  mean?     I  have  been  a 


40  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

student  of  my  business  for  years  und  years,  und  I  am 
a  dinker  und  a  public  speaker  too. 

DR.  REED  :  Well— 

JUSTIN  :  As  chairman  of  our  group,  whatever  else  we  may 
do,  let  us  lend  our  respect  and  courtesy  to  the  doctor. 

DR.  REED  :  That  is  very  fine  of  you,  Mr.  Justin,  but  it  is  all 
right.  I  mean  just  what  I  say,  Mr.  Schmidt.  You  do 
not  understand  your  business  because  you  never  had 
nor  have  you  now  any  business.  You  do  not  under 
stand  anybody  else's  business  because  instead  of  devot 
ing  thought  to  putting  one  and  one  together,  you  have 
been  trying  all  your  life,  at  least  ever  since  you  have 
been  meddling  in  other  business,  to  figure  out  how  to 
separate  them. 

COMPTON  :  You  are  right,  Dr.  Reed :  That  is  anarchy. 

DR.  REED:  Let  us  avoid  harsh  terms.  Mr.  Schmidt,  you 
have  a  program  without  beginning  or  ending,  purpose 
or  motive.  You  have  ideas.  You  have  placed  them 
upon  wings,  beyond  the  reach  of  man.  Your  whole 
purpose  is  Sampsonlike — to  push  apart  the  pillars  to 
visit  vengence  upon  others,  only  in  your  blindness  to 
have  it  visited  upon  you. 

DR.  REED:  You,  Mr.  Compton,  and  you,  Mr.  Schmidt, 
represent  the  extreme  of  the  extremes. 

COMPTON  :  I  certainly  have  a  constitutional  right  to  my 
property  und  a  natural  right  to  my  opinion. 

SCHMIDT:  Und  ve  have  a  natural  right  to  all  de  property 
and  a  constitutional  right  to  our  opinion. 

DR.  REED:  The  arrogance  of  private  property  and  the  ar 
rogance  of  private  opinion  are  the  bane  of  our  present 
conditions.  (To  Mr.  Compton.)  Less  than  five  per 
cent  of  our  entire  population  own  over  ninety  per  cent 
of  the  wealth  of  this  nation.  Is  not  that  a  fact? 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  41 

COMPTON  :  But  a  much  greater  majority  than  ninety  per 
cent  believes  in  and  supports  our  right  by  law  to  such 
concentrated  private  ownership. 

DR.  REED  :  Mr.  Schmidt,  how  many  comrades  can  you  count 
who  openly  and  actively  support  your  opinions  for  a 
new  government? 

SCHMIDT:  Veil,  veil,  de  actual  dues-paying  members,  dat 
is,  comrades  in  good  standing  are  not  many,  but  ve 
cound  on  many  sympadizers.  Oh,  very,  very  many. 

DR.  REED  :  There  you  have  it,  gentlemen.  It  is  oppression 
from  above  and  destruction  from  below,  actually  held 
in  the  palms  of  a  handful  of  people.  No  wonder  the 
nation  is  in  unrest.  What  is  needed  is  for  the  nation 
to  become  a  greater  holder  in  the  possessions  of  one 
and  a  stronger  filtering  repository  of  the  mental  tinker- 
ings  of  the  other. 

MENDEL  :  Ours  is  no  tinkerings — it  is  a  science,  mathemati 
cally  and  scientifically  demonstrable  with  a  Q.  E.  D. 

DR.  REED:  That  is  what  you  think  but  you  start  at  the 
wrong  bottom  just  as  private  property  tries  to  balance 
itself  at  the  wrong  top. 

COMPTON  :  You  are  not  going  to  ask  us  to  divide  up  ? 

SCHMIDT:  Divide  up  noding.  In  de  new  republic,  ve  take 
it  all. 

DR.  REED:  (To  Mr.  Compton)  The  abuse  of  private  prop 
erty  visited  upon  the  multitudes  is  like  that  of  a 
Zeppelin  bombing  a  non-comabtant  and  defenseless 
people  below. 

JUSTIN  :  That  is  splendid.    It  is  clearing  up  before  me. 

MENDEL:  It  is  clearing  up,  nothing.  It  is  only  a  simile, 
illustrative  in  its  expressiveness. 

GALLICI  :  But  it  has  de  wings  of  a  poet. 


42  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

DR.  REED:  You,  Mr.  Schmidt,  and  your  underground 
philosophy  of  a  new  republic  are  like  a  U-boat  making 
a  way  in  the  dark  alley  of  the  deep  sea  and  torpedoing 
unarmed  ships  freighted  with  human  life.  What  is 
the  gain?  Nothing.  What  the  loss?  All. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  Dr.  Reed,  I  begin  to  understand  you.  I  do 
really  think  it  is  our  duty  to  get  together. 

LAMB  :  I  sincerely  endorse  your  stand. 

JOHNSTON  :  I  cannot  endorse  anything  without  my  part 
ner's  consent. 

JUSTIN  :  I  feel  that  we  can  and  ought  to  be  able  to  settle 
the  strike. 

SCHMIDT:  No,  dere  is  noding  to  settle  unless  it  is  settled 
our  vay. 

COMPTON  :  I  have  nothing  to  settle. 

DR.  REED:  Mr.  Compton,  suppose  the  government  should 
find,  and  it  may  not  be  at  all  improbable,  that  the  con 
duct  of  your  business  effects  a  monopoly  of  interests. 

COMPTON  :  I  will  see  my  lawyer  about  it. 

DR.  REED  :  Never  mind  about  your  lawyer.  That  is  a 
conspiracy  against  the  government  which  it  prose 
cutes  unrelentingly. 

SCHMIDT:  (Swishing  his  hands.)  Dat  is  just  it.  De  op 
pression  of  private  owned  property. 

DR.  REED  :  And  suppose,  Mr.  Schmidt,  that  the  government 
should  find  that  your  New  Republic  has  made  overt 
acts  against  our  country.  That  too,  is  a  conspiracy 
which  it  prosecutes  unrelentingly. 

COMPTON  :  That  is  the  upholding  of  the  United  States  Con 
stitution. 

DR.  REED:  Exactly,  Gentlemen.  Uphold  the  Constitution 
of  the  United  States.  Get  together.  Provide  for  a 
decent  wage  and  for  improved  working  conditions.  Re- 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  43 

turn  the  mob  to  their  recognized  normal  vocations. 
Not  that  that  alone  will  end  the  srife  forever. 

JUSTIN  :  Strife  once  begun  is  never  ended  until  that  which 
is  striven  for  is  either  totally  won  or  lost. 

DR.  REED  :  It  will  give  both  sides  a  saner,  more  orderly 
manner  of  getting  together  for  the  further  considera 
tion  of  making  this  a  government,  by,  for,  and  of  the 
people  in  its  truest  sense  in  every  field  of  understand 
ing. 

(Door  opens.  Amy  rushes  in  and  throws  her  arms 
around  her  father  and  kisses  him.} 

MR.  FULSOM  :  Amy. 

AMY:  Oh,  Daddy,  Oh,  Daddy.  I  thought  I  would  never 
see  you  alive  again.  Oh,  Daddy. 

MR.  FULSOM:  Amy,  what  is  the  matter,  speak? 

AMY  :  Daddy,  for  God's  sake  come  away  from  here :  It  is — 
It — It  is  your  life  they  are  after. 

VOICES:  What  do  you  mean. 

DR.  REED:  Amy  be  calm. 

(Justin  tries  to  give  her  a  glass  of  water.  Amy,  seeing 
Justin,  spurns  the  offer  and  assumes  boldness  and  de 
fiance.} 

SCHMIDT:  Vat  shenenagin. 

AMY:  (Cold  and  collected.}  I  visited  Mr.  Justin  by  ap 
pointment  at  this  office  an  hour  ago.  I  pleaded  with 
him  to  forsake  this  mad  leadership  of  a  wild  mob.  He 
would  not. 

MENDEL  :  That  was  right,  was  it  not  ? 

AMY:  With  much  heroics  he  said  he  dared  not  turn  a 
Judas.  The  mob  needed  him. 

DR.  REED:  Go  on,  Amy.    Take  it  easy. 

AMY:  He  pleaded  with  me  to  go  home,  to  leave  things  to 


44  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

him.     I  did.     He  promised  there  would  he  no  happen 
ings  of  any  kind. 

SCHMIDT:  (To  Gallici}  Vat,  who  told  her  of  de  Revolution. 

AMY  :  No  sooner  did  I  get  home  than  a  strange  voice  called 
me  on  the  phone  and  hastily  said,  "You  think  this 
Justin  is  square.  He  just  got  you  out  of  the  way.  He 
has  designs  on  the  life  of  your  father."  Eather  let's — 

SCHMIDT:  Und  you  did  not  recognize  his  voice,  did  you? 

AMY  :  No,  I  did  not. 

SCHMIDT:  Veil.  (Dr.  Reed  gives  him  a  sharp  look  and 
Schmidt  turns  his  head  away.} 

AMY  :  Daddy,  I  tried  to  get  you  but  could  not,  so  I  hastened 
here.  Let's  hurry  away  from  here. 

JUSTIN  :  I  swear  upon  my  honor  that  whoever  it  was  that 
telephoned  you  must  have  been  some  private  detective — 
the  old  game  of — 

AMY:  You  with  your  honor,  your  ideals,  your  notions, 
your  talks  and  talks  for  the  underdog,  with  professions 
of  love  for  all  mankind,  you  sham,  bold  arrogant  agi 
tator.  It  is  easier  to  agitate  than  to  do.  There  in  your 
club  with  men  who  have  failed  in  life,  you  meet  in 
common  hatred  for  all  who  have  something.  All  your 
soft  words,  your  formulas,  your  axioms,  and  visions 
are  a  cloak  for  plunder  and  murder. 

DR.  REED  :  Amy,  you  had  better  not  speak. 

AMY:  I  will.     You  had  the  idea  to  get  me  out  of  the  way 
that  I  might  not  be  here  and  see  you  at  the  head  of 
the  mob.    You,  you  did  not  want  me  to  see  you  as  the 
beast. 
(Dr.  Reed  holds  up  hand  to  Amy,  silencing  her.} 

JUSTIN  :  I  protest  my  utter  innocence.  Gentlemen,  I  am 
innocent  of  any  designs  and  have  no  such  knowledge. 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  45 

(All  turn  azvay  from  him.    Dr.  Reed  waves  his  hand  to 
Justin  and  he  stops.) 

AMY  :  Oh,  Doctor,  how  can  you  associate  with  that  mob  of 
hoodlums  ?  Why  did  you  ever  take  me  to  their  haunts 
of  mental  hell  in  their  social  cesspools?  Why,  they 
will  kill  you  too.  Oh,  Daddy,  let's  get  away.  (A  bomb 
explodes.} 
(Alarm  and  confusion.) 

SCHMIDT:  (In  sotto  voice  to  Gallici,  with  a  smile.}  De 
Revolution. 

JUSTIN:  My  God,  this  must  be  the  work  of  detectives  and 
the  employers'  association. 

AMY  :  So  whoever  informed  me  was  a  private  detective  ? 
How  did  you  know  a  private  detective  would  inform 
me?     What   wonderful   premonition.      Well,   you   ex 
plain  that  to  the  judge. 

SCHMIDT:  Dose  damned  capitalistic  courts. 

JUSTIN  :  I  am  mystified.     I  protest  my  utter  innocence. 

DR.  REED:  Justin,  give  me  your  hand.  (They  shake  hands.} 
As  an  American,  it  is  my  duty  to  give  you  the  benefit 
of  any  reasonable  doubt  and  I  will.  I  shall  believe  you 
innocent  until  you  are  proven  guilty  beyond  a  reason 
able  doubt. 

COMPTON  :   Innocent.  Hell,  hanging  is  too  good  for  them. 

JUSTIN  :  Thank  you,  Doctor. 

SCHMIDT:  Let's  get  away. 

AMY  :  Not  now. 

(CURTAIN) 


ACT  III 


ACT  III. 


Scene  :    The   capital   seat  of   the   New    Republic.     Club     ^g| 
Room  of  the  United  Social  Workers  Propaganda  Circle 
of  International  Justice. 

(Appropriate  hangings,  a  bookshelf  of  radical  litera 
ture,  three  small  tables,  four  playing  skat  at  the  first 
table  —  Schmidt  being  one  of  the  players;  second  table, 
tivo  Russians  playing  sixty-six;  at  the  third  table, 
two  men  and  two  women  are  playing  cards.  At  a  long 
table,  the  secretary  is  doing  her  work  and  men  and 
zvomcn  are  reading  and  talking.  As  the  curtain  goes 
up,  the  phonograph  plays,  "The  Marsailles,"  —  Galilei 
accompanying  the  music  with  his  violin.  Sandy  Mc 
Donald  is  playing  the  mouth  harmonica.  As  the  song 
ends,  the  secretary  removes  the  record  and  conceals  it 
between  the  tiuo  layers  of  her  chair  seat  and  places 
thereon  another  record.  The  ,  room  is  filled  with 
smoke.  The  surroundings  are  totally  void  of  any  sex 
deferences,  but  this  must  not  be  confused  with  the 
demimonde  spirit  of  hilarity,  the  result  of  drugs  and 
intoxicants,  but  rather  a  strain  of  depression,  the  men 
tal  autotoxin  of  men  and  women  who  have  taken  a 
distorted  view  of  society.} 

SCHMIDT   (To  Sandy)  :  Drow  dat  mout-organ  out  of  de 
vindow. 

SANDY:  Ah  —  ah  —  • 

SCHMIDT:   Organ  —  dat  is  church-capitalistic. 

SANDY:  Ah  —  ah. 

(Sandy  raises  the  zvindow  and  throws  it  out.) 

A  VOICE:  What's  that  record  you  just  put  on? 


50  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

SECRETARY:  That  is  the  dirge  of  the  old  republic,  (laugh.) 
(Comrade  LaBuy  takes  her  vanity  glass  and  powder 
puff.  Schmidt  sees  it.) 

SCHMIDT:  Comrade  LaBuy,  come  right  here.  Vat?  Give 
me  dat  shtuff. 

(She  gives  him  the  vanity  glass  and  puff.  He  throws 
the  puff  into  the  cuspidor  and  steps  on  the  vanity  glass 
and  breaks  it.) 

SCHMIDT:  Dere,  you  are  not  preparing  yourself  for  de 
guillotine  of  de  French  Revolution.  For  de  New  Re 
public  it  is  unnecessary. 

GALLICI:  (To  SCHMIDT.)     It  is  de  wonderful. 

(LaBuy  returns  to  her  card  table.  Schmidt  returns  to 
his  place.  A  fight  breaks  out  at  the  table  of  the  two 
Russians.  They  grab  each  other  by  the  throat  and 
struggle  over  the  table.  Comrade  Babinski  has  the  best 
of  Comrade  Bolzekoff  and  strikes  him  in  the  face,  cry 
ing  out,  "Moshenik."  "Moshenik.") 

SCHMIDT:  Dat's  enough.  Get  up.  I  say,  let  go  righd  avay 
quick. 

(They  don't  seem  to  hear  him.  Schmidt  walks  around 
until  his  eye  catches  that  of  Babinski.  The  wrestlers 
immediately  get  up.) 

SCHMIDT:  Veil,  Comrades,  vat  is  de  matter? 

BABINSKI  :  I  caught  Comrade  Bolzekoff  cheating. 

SCHMIDT:  Und  for  dat  you  choke  him? 

BABINSKI  :  But  cheating  is  against  the  constitution  of  the 
New  Republic. 

SCHMIDT:  But  ve  are  still  living  in  de  old.  Plenty  of  time 
yet,  und  it  is  not  wrong  to  break  de  present  laws. 

BABINSKI:  Even  if  it  affects  a  comrade? 

SCHMIDT:  Vat  is  de  difference?  Aren't  you  playing  a 
capitalistic  game  for  capitalistic  money  ? 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  51 

BABINSKI  :  But  if  one  has  not  the  new  humanity,  and  if  the 
nature  does  not  change,  how  can  he  be  fit  for  the  New 
Republic  ? 

SCHMIDT:  Human  nature  vill  not  change  now,  but  ven 
de  New  Republic  comes,  de  new  human  nature  vill 
come  too. 

BABINSKI  :  Thank  you,  Comrade  Schmidt :  I  did  not  under 
stand  it  that  way.  (Turning  to  Bolzekoff.}  I  apolo 
gize  to  you  most  sincerely,  Comrade  Bolzekoff,  and 
now,  ah — ah — I  can  cheat  too.  In  the  capitalistic 
system,  we  are  all  mosheniks.  I  never  thought  of  that. 
The  system  is  a  cheat  and  we  all  can  cheat. 
(Schmidt  returns  to  his  table.  The  players  bid.} 

SCHMIDT:  Comrades,  its  a  guxer. 

GALLICI  :  ( Watching  the  game,  bends  over  to  look  at 
Schmidt's  hand.} 

SCHMIDT:  Och!  De  sphagetti,  mit  garlic,  again. 

GALLICI  :  In  de  New  Republic,  we  may  eat  and  drink  what 
we  will  without  de  reproof. 

SCHMIDT  :  But  ve  are  still  in  a  capitalistic  atmosphere. 

GALLICI  :  De  New  Republic — De  inspiration. 

SCHMIDT:  But  dis  is  not. 

(He  turns  to  play.     Mankin  approaches  Schmidt  and 
touches  him  on  the  shoulder  gently.} 

SCHMIDT:  Comrade  Mankin,  vat  is  it? 

MANKIN:  The  judge  told  me  this  morning  that  unless  I 
give  eight  dollars  a  week  for  my  children,  he  will  send 
me  to  the  work  house. 

SCHMIDT:  How  can  I  help?  Do  you  dink  I  run  de  capital 
istic  courts  too?  Dose  judges  are  only  loafers.  Vy 
don't  you  pay  it  und  be  done  mit  it  ? 

MANKIN  :  My  dues  and  extra  assessments  to  the  New  Re 
public  don't  leave  me  enough  to  buy  a  pair  of  shoes. 


52  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

(Shows  torn  shoes.) 

SCHMIDT:  Who  reported  you? 

MANKIN  :  My  capitalistic  wife,  Comrade  Morgan.  She 
goes  by  that  fellow's  name. 

SCHMIDT:  Comrade  Morgan,  come  here. 
(Comrade  Morgan  comes.) 

SCHMIDT:  Vere  do  you  live  now? 

COMRADE  MORGAN:  I  live  on  Pearl  Street  with  Comrade 
Trensky. 

SCHMIDT:  Are  you  divorced? 

COMRADE  MORGAN  :  I  am  surprised  at  you.  Comrade 
Schmidt.  We  don't  recognize  divorces.  That  is  what  you 
say.  It  is  capitalistic.  Don't  you  tell  us  in  your  lectures 
on  the  New  Republic,  we  can  live  with  as  many  hus 
bands  and  change  them  as  often  as  we  like  ? 

SCHMIDT:  Yah,  yah,  but  vy  did  you  report  him? 

COMRADE  MORGAN  :  I  did  not  report  him.  The  policemen  did 
and  they  took  my  three  kids  and  sent  them  to  the 
orphans'  home  and  the  judge  ordered  Comrade  Mankin 
to  contribute  to  their  support. 

SCHMIDT:  Vy  don't  you  keep  de  children? 

COMRADE  MORGAN  :  Don't  the  constitution  of  the  New  Re 
public  say  that  children  are  the  property  of  the  state?  I 
stand  on  the  new  constitution.  Let  the  state  support 
them. 

MANKIN  :  But  you  know,  only  the  oldest  and  the  youngest 
are  my  children. 

COMRADE  MORGAN  :  Did  I  kick  because  you  have  a  child  with 
Comrade  Dorkin's  second  wife? 

SCHMIDT:  Veil,  dere  is  consolation  for  you,  Comrade 
Mankin.  In  de  New  Republic,  dere  vill  be  no  court 
save  dat  of  your  conscience  und  den  you  vill  not  have 
to  pay  alimony.  You  vill  do  as  you  like. 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  53 

Schmidt  sits  down  to  play  cards  once  more.     Mendel 

approaches  him.) 
MENDEL  :  Come  Comrade  Schmidt,  give  that  hand  of  yours 

to  someone  else.    I  must  talk  to  you. 
SCHMIDT:   (Laying  down  his  cards  and  getting  up.)  Yah, 

Yah. 
MENDEL:    Comrade    Schmidt,    I    would    be  very  cautious 

about  what  you  say  and  do  tonight. 
SCHMIDT:  For  vy? 
MENDEL  :  In  the  first  place,  you  and  I  ought  to  be  grateful 

to  Justin  because  his  acquittal  also  freed  us.     Besides, 

you  know  he  was  entirely  innocent. 
SCHMIDT:  Grateful?     Dat  is  capitalistic.     One  is  grateful 

for  charity,  but  vat  ve  deserve,  ve  don't  have  to  be 

grateful  for. 
MENDEL  :  But  if  it  were  not  for  the  assistance  of  Dr.  Reed 

and  Miss  Fulsom,  we  would  now  be  in  prison. 
SCHMIDT:  Bosh  mit  all  dat.    He  has  fallen  for  a  capitalistic 

skirt  und  is  trying  to  proselyte  us.    He  vill  be  no  good 

to  us  any  more. 
MENDEL:   But  don't   forget,   Comrade   Schmidt,  that   Miss 

Fulsom  has  already  contributed  thousands  of  dollars 

for  our  suffering  European  widows'  and  orphans'  funds. 
SCHMIDT:  Veil,  aren't  ve  de  sufferers? 
MENDEL:  Justin  said  he  refuses  to  stand    any    longer    for 

direct  action. 
SCHMIDT:  Dat  is  vy  ve  put  him  on  trial.     Dat  is  vere  de 

pinch  is.     He  is  yellow.     Ve  can't  trust  him  no  more. 
MENDEL:  But  let's  reprimand  him  only  and  not  expel  him. 
SCHMIDT:  Comrade  Mendel,  I  am  surprised    at    you,    de 

author  of  de  code  of  de  New  Republic,  und  you  mit 

vour  boasted  mathematical  exactness. 


54  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

MENDEL:  But  in  dealing  with  a   comrade,    there   must   be 

some  consideration  shown. 
SCHMIDT:  No,  und  furder,  I  dink  dat  dat  doctor  is  no  good, 

und  I  do  not  dink  ve  vill  ever  convert  dat  Fulsom  girl. 
MENDEL  :  But  you  convert  her  money  and  she  has  been  good 

financial  backing. 
SCHMIDT:  In  de  New  Republic,  ve  von'd  need  her  financial 

backing. 
GALLICI  :  (Stepping  up.)     But  you  make  de  law  of  de  New 

Republic  as  unmerciful  as  of  de  old. 

SCHMIDT:  But  it  vill  be  interpreted  by  me  und  dat  is  dif 
ferent. 
MENDEL:  Comrade  Schmidt,  I  tell  you,  you  are  making  a 

mistake. 
SCHMIDT:  Vat  I  say  goes.  I  stand  de  consequences.  Come, 

you  must  be  a  Spartacus.    Individuals  is  of  no  account. 

(Mendel  steps  aside.) 
GALLICI:  (To  Schmidt.)  Comrade    Schmidt,    I   have   been 

thinking  that  we  should  add  a  new  term  to  our  consti 
tution. 

SCHMIDT:  (Impatiently.)  What  is  it? 
GALLICI  :  That  we  creat  a  master  comrade. 
SCHMIDT:  Und  ven  I  die,  vat  vill  become  of  it? 
GALLICI  :  Then  we  will  strike  it  from  de  constitution. 
SCHMIDT:  Den  it  is  all  right.     You  know,  Comrade,  I  al- 

vays  like  you.     I — (gets  very  close  and  intimate  with 

Gallici. ) 
GALLICI:  Then  you  don't  mind  I  eat    Spaghetti    with    de 

garlic  ? 

SCHMIDT:  Eat  all  you  vant,  Comrade  Gallici. 
GALLICI  :  My,  de  way  you  run  de  New  Republic  with  such 

discipline  and  order.     What  noble  inspiration. 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  55 

SCHMIDT:  Und  have  dem  change  de  constitution  right  avay, 
yah?     (Sits  down  at  his  card  table.} 
(At  the  second  table,  there  is  again  trouble  between 
Comrades  Babinski  and  Bolsekoff.} 

SCHMIDT:  Veil,  veil,  vat  is  de  matter  now?  (Gets  up  from 
his  table.} 

BABINSKI  :  I  cheat  because  we  was  playing  a  capitalistic 
game,  because  you  say  it  is  proper,  and  now  he  don't 
want  to  pay  me  the  money  I  won  because  he  says  I 
cheated. 

SCHMIDT:  Vat's  wrong  about  dat? 

BABINSKI  :  But  I  won. 

SCHMIDT:  De  refusal  to  pay  a  capitalistic  debt  is  not  dis 
honorable.  (Schmidt  returns  to  his  card  table.} 

BABINSKI  :  Excuse  me,  Comrade  Schmidt.  I  never  thought 
of  that.  What  foolish  memory  I  got.  Comrade  Bol- 
zekoff,  I  sincerely  apologize  to  you. 

GALLICI  :  It  hurts  my  soul,  my  inspiration.     All  I  hear  to 
night,  Comrades,  is  money,  money.    What  is  de  matter 
with  our  comrades  tonight,  Comrade  Schmidt. 
(At  the  big  table,  Comrade  Sampson,  secretary  of  the 
club  opens  a  letter  and  reads} 

"Eli,  Nevada,  March  222, 

Comrade  McDonald,  when  one  stutters  with  his  speech, 
does  he  also  stutter  with  his  pen? 

SANDY:  Ah — ah — 

SECRETARY:     I  don't  know  whether  it  is  March  2  or  22 — 

SANDY  :  Ah — 

SECRETARY:  Never  mind,  it's  another  day  already.  (Reads} 
Enclosed  rind  $5  for  the  defense  of  Justin  and  the  rest. 

SCHMIDT  :  De  rest !  Dey  speak  of  Justin  as  dough  he  was 
de  whole  show. 


56  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

SECRETARY:  (Continuing  to  read.)  "I  am  hoping  for  the 
freedom  of  all.  Yours  for  the  New  Republic  and  jus 
tice,  John  M.  Paterson.  P.  S.  Send  an  organizer  here. 
We  are  ready  for  a  good  sized  branch." 

MENDEL  :  Well,  he  has  the  spirit,  but  I  cannot  see  that  he 
shows  any  comprehension  of  the  new  philosophy. 

GALLICI  :  But  de  spirit  moves  de  comprehension  like  de 
zephyr  de  leaves. 

MENDEL:     Oh,   that   sphagetti ! 

GALLICI:  De  intolerance  of  de  comrades  is  a  relic  of  cap 
italism. 
(Secretary  opens  another  letter.) 

SECRETARY:  Here's  a  money  order  for  $12.04. 

NELSON:  (A  Norwegian.)  We  ought  to  have  an  account 
ing  of  all  the  money.  I  would  like  to  know  where  all 
the  money  goes.  I  am  paying,  paying  all  the  time. 

SECRETARY  :  I  don't  have  to  account.  I  can  do  as  I  please. 
I  suppose  you  will  soon  want  one  of  those  capitalistic 
certified  accountants  to  go  over  our  books. 

NELSON:  (Boisterously.)  I  don't  know.  I  want  to  know 
where  the  money  goes.  I  am  from  Missouri. 

MENDEL  :  Missouri.  Missouri.  In  the  New  Republic 
there  is  no  such  state. 

(Enter  Emma  Gold,  dressed  like  a  man  save  for  a  skirt 
which  she  immediately  unhooks  and  takes  off,  and  rolls 
down  the  leggings  of  her  trousers.) 

EMMA:  There,  with  William  Tell,  I  can  speak.  "Once 
again  I  am  free."  (Holding  up  the  skirt.)  That 
damned  capitalistic  hobble  shall  perish  with  the  birth 
of  the  New  Republic.  Long  live  the  New  Republic. 

THE  ENTIRE  CLUB:     Long  live  the  New  Republic. 

GALLICI  :  Oh,  Comrade  Emma.  I  love  you.  I  want  to 
kiss  vou. 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

EMMA:  (Extending  her  hand.}  How  many  times  did  I 
tell  you.  Only  my  hand  after  one  of  your  noodle  din 
ners. 

GALLIC:  :  But  you  are  so  perfectly  rhythmical,  and  besides, 
Section  6  of  de  Code  proclaims  that  women  are  de 
property  of  de  whole  nation. 

EMMA:  Yes,  but  I  am  going  to  propose  an  amendment 
that  eating  sphagetti  with  garlic  shall  constitute  an  un 
lawful  assault — 

SAN-DY  :     Ah — ah — 

EMMA:  There  is  no  ah — ah  about  it.  Garlic  never  stut 
ters  that  way. 

GALLIC:  :    But,  Comrade  Emma,  you  are  de  love  of — 

EMMA:  Love!  Ha.  Ha!  Freedom,  ah  freedom!  Wife, 
capitalistic  institution.  A  species  of  private  property. 
All  women  of  the  ages  of  17  to  32  belong  to  the  com 
rades  and  will  receive  from  the  state  an  allowance  of 
$23  per  month. 

MENDEL  :      You   understand    my   constitution. 

EMMA  :  It  shall  not  be  the  child  of  the  parent,  not  the  wife 
of  the  husband,  but  of  the  state.  Freedom!  Freedom! 
Let  passion  reign  and  hypocrisy  fall. 

GALL:C:  :  But  can  I  not  drink  at  de  same  well  more  than 
once  ? 

EMMA:  The  appetite  is  the  expression  of  nature's  hunger. 
(Schmidt  leaves  his  card  table  and  turns  to  Emma  and 
greets  her  affectionately.  Gallici  observes  it  with  jeal 
ousy.) 

EMMA:  Comrade  Henrico,  you  are  showing  a  capitalistic 
disposition, — jealousy.  Oh!  Oh! 

GALLICI  :  Yes,  we  try  to  feel  de  whole  philosophy  of  de 
\Tew  Republic,  but  I  cannot  quite  feel  de  right  of  leav 
ing  what  is  my  own. 


58  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

(Throwing  a  kiss  at  her  and  turns  away.}  My  bambino. 
I  love  him  and  I  feel  bad  zat  I  shall  have  to  abandon 
him  to  de  state. 

SCHMIDT:  Spartacus  would  never  act  like  dat. 

EMMA:  Comrade  Henrico,  what  you  call  love  is  only  false 
sentiment.  Why  not  love  all  human  beings  ?  Why  con 
fine  your  love  to  but  a  few? 

MENDEL  :  The  whole  problem  is  mathematically  demonstra 
ble  to  its  logical  conclusion. 

GALLICI  :  But  take  de  sentiment  away  and  you  have  no 
expression  of  de  soul. 

MENDEL:  All  imagination.  Capitalistic.  They  starve  you 
that  you  may  imagine  banquets.  They  enslave  you  that 
you  may  imagine  freedom.  In  the  New  Republic,  the 
imagination  shall  have  reached  full  realization.  Then 
we  shall  speak  out  our  true  thoughts. 

SCHMIDT:  Veil,  it  is  time  to  get  down  to  business. 

EMMA  :  Yes,  but  before  we  proceed  with  the  course  of  bus 
iness,  I  have  here  a  code  letter  from  our  comrades  in 
Russia. 

ALL:     From  Comrades? 

EMMA:  Yes,  it  was  just  given  me  by  a  Finnish  comrade  who 
arrived  on  the  Rotterdam,  and  the  police  caught  him 
ten  minutes  after  he  left  my  house. 
(She  takes  a  letter  from  her  rear  trousers  pocket  and 
turns  it  over  to  Comrade  Schmidt.) 

EMMA:  You  are  the  only  one  who  has  the  key  to  the  code. 
Comrade  Justin,  Dr.  Reed,  and  that  woman  are  in  the 
outer  room.  Let's  go  to  it. 

SCHMIDT  :  Veil,  I  vill  comrade  him  no  more  after  tonight. 

SECRETARY  :  I  call  the  meeting  to  order. 

GALLICI  :  I  nominate  Comrade  Gold  as  chairman  of  de 
meeting. 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  59 

SECRETARY  :  No  other  nominations  ? 

(Comrade  Gold  takes  the  chair,  straddles  the  bench  in 
man-fashion  and  places  in  her  mouth  a  pipe  which  she 
takes  out  of  the  mouth  of  one  of  the  comrades.} 

EMMA  :  Comrades,  the  meeting  shall  come  to  order.  I  move 
that  Comrade  Justin  be  asked  to  come  in  so  that  he 
can  be  present  at  the  proceedings,  in  accordance  with 
our  code. 

SCHMIDT:  Und  den  I  move  dat  his  capitalistic  vitnesses 
come  in  too.  Let  dem  see  de  fairness  of  a  comrade's 
trial. 

EMMA:  Let  them  also  enter. 
(All  three  enter.} 

EMMA:  Takes  seats.  Comrade  Secretary,  read  the  charges 
against  Comrade  Justin. 

SECRETARY:  (Reads}  "I,  Alexander  Schmidt,  comrade  in 
good  standing,  prefer  the  following  charges  against 
Comrade  Justin.  First,  in  refusing  to  accept  the 
$10,000  which  was  offered  by  Amy  Fulsom,  the  capital 
istic  daughter  of  a  capitalistic  employer  preceding  the 
general  strike  of  last  year,  which  is  in  violation  of  our 
Code,  Section  14,  subdivision  5,  which  reads,  'It  shall 
be  lawful  to  take,  by  any  means,  the  property  of  a 
capitalist.  All  capital  is  the  accumulation  from  the 
exploiting  of  labor  and  any  means  of  diminishing 
capital  is  but  to  restore  labor  to  its  original  element  of 
freedom.'  Second,  in  accepting  capitalistic  support, 
moral  and  financial,  in  his  trial  before  a  capitalistic 
court  on  a  charge  of  conspiracy  in  connection  with  the 
bomb  explosion  on  the  day  of  the  general  strike,  being 
in  violation  of  Section  19,  subdivision  2,  which  reads, 
'when  any  comrade  is  put  on  trial  before  a  capitalistic 
court  upon  any  charge  of  a  capitalistic  offense.' ''' 


60  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

SCHMIDT  :  Conspiracy  is  alvays  a  capitalistic  offense. 
SECRETARY:  (Reads)  "'He  should  assert  the  righteousness 

of  our  cause  and  issue  a  defi  and  manifesto.' ' 
SCHMIDT:  De  more  ve  fill  de  chails,  de  worse  for  capitalism. 
SECRETARY:   (Reads)   "All  of  which  is  submitted.     Yours 

for  the  New  Republic,  Comrade  Alexander  Schmidt." 
GALLICI  :  But  Comrade  Schmidt,  were  we  not  on  trial  with 

Comrade  Justin? 

SCHMIDT:  But  Justin  pleaded  not  guilty.       I  stood  moot. 
GALLICI:  But  according  to  court  rules,  standing  mute  is  de 

same  as  pleading  not  guilty. 
SCHMIDT:  I  can't  help  how  de  capitalistic  courts  interpret 

it.     I  stood  moot. 
EMMA:  We  are  going  to  give  Comrade  Justin  a  chance  to 

prove  his  innocence. 
AMY  :  To  prove  his  innocence !     In  our  courts,  they  must 

prove  them  guilty. 
SCHMIDT:  Comrade  Chairman,  I  move  dat  you  admonish 

de  voman  to  shpeak  only  ven  she  is  shpoken  to.     In 

our  courts,  ve  never  accuse  until  ve  are  certain  of  de 

guilt. 
AMY  :  But  I  am  sure  you  are  mistaken,  just  as  I  was  when  I 

accused  Justin. 
EMMA:  Don't  interrupt. 
GALLICI  :  Sante  Maria,  let  de  soul  speak  out.  It  is  nature. 

It  is  beautiful. 

JUSTIN  :  I  plead  guilty  to  both  charges. 
EMMA:  Do  you  wish  to  be  heard? 
JUSTIN  :  As  you  will. 
EMMA:  Secretary,  take  his  affirmance. 
SECRETARY  :  Do  you  affirm  on  your  conscience  as  a  comrade 

that    you    will    speak    the    whole    truth    and    conceal 

nothing? 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  61 

JUSTIN  :  Comrades,  I  did  not  care  to  come  here  for  I  know 
that  your  verdict  is  already  sealed  against  me.  I 
brought  Dr.  Reed  and  Miss  Fulsom  at  their  solicitation 
— Miss  Fulsom  having  a  desire  to  explain  her  part.  She 
thinks  you  will  consider  me  honorable  for  my  part  in 
the  strike,  as  the  courts  have  already  done. 

SCHMIDT:  Veil,  den  dem  capitalists  have  more  faith  in  us 
den  you. 

JUSTIN  :  Because  they  have  not  learned  to  know  you  as  I. 
I  too  had  faith  in  you  once. 

SCHMIDT:  Veil,  de  idea! 

JUSTIN  :  Yes,  you  claim  to  fight  against  injustice  and  you  set 
up  a  regime  of  injustice  of  which  no  capitalistic  insti 
tution  from  the  age  of  the  inquisition,  down  through 
the  French  Revolution  and  Ihe  prisons  of  Russia,  ever 
dreamed. 

EMMA:  You  better  keep  to  the  point. 

JUSTIN  :  Regardless  of  what  you  do,  I  shall  always  adhere 
to  my  faith. 

MEN-DEL  :  Faith,  faith,  it  is  not  faith  we  want.  It  is  mathe 
matical  demonstration. 

JUSTIN  :  In  the  very  hope  of  a  great  freedom,  you  champion, 
you  seek  to  destroy  every  human  instinct.  You  regu 
late  until  we  are  herded  like  so  many  cattle.  You 
deaden  the  soul.  In  your  war  upon  the  savagery  of 
capitalism,  you  hang  up  another  savagery  befitting  the 
primitive  age.  You  are  all  wrong.  No  woman  with  a 
woman's  instinct,,  will  make  common  property  of  her 
self,  and  none  with  the  first  touch  of  mother  love  will 
go  through  her  travail  only  to  deliver  her  child  to  the 
community  nursery. 

GALLICI  :  Sentiment  is  de  music  of  de  human  soul.  It  is 
not  all  mathematics. 


62  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

EMMA:  But,  Comrade,  why  did  you  not  take  that  $10,000? 

JUSTIN  :  Because  when  I  read  myself  into  your  creed,  I  be 
lieved  I  was  making  strides  for  better  and  nobler  things. 
Bribery  is  the  sordid  bait  of  capitalism.  Was  I  as  a 
comrade  to  take  the  money  which  was  offered  me? 
What  would  the  giver  have  thought  of  me?  I  would 
rather  have  the  good  opinion  of  one  woman  than  all 
her  wealth.  To  have  accepted  her  offer  and  then  betray 
her  would  have  been  doubly  rotten.  I  knew  the  giver 
did  not  understand  the  seriousness  of  her  offer. 

SCHMIDT:  Bah,  dese  capitalistic  honors.  You  accepted 
capitalistic  bail. 

JUSTIN:  Yes,  I  am  guilty  of  accepting  bail  and  aid  and 
comfort  from  one  who  first  believed  me  guilty  of  that 
dastardly  explosion — of  the  murder  of  eleven  innocent 
men,  women,  and  children,  and  who  later  became  con 
vinced  of  my  innocence. 

SCHMIDT:  You  are  sure  it  was  only  dat  dat  helped  to  ac 
quit  you,  because  you  were  innocent? 

JUSTIN  :  Yes,  and  helped  to  free  you  and  the  rest.  I  hope 
the  fiend  who  destroyed  those  lives  is  not  here,  though 
sometimes  I  think  I  see  him  before  me. 

SCHMIDT:    Veil,  if  you  know,  speak  up. 

JUSTIN  :  I  shall  not  speak  until  I  know  beyond  a  doubt.  This 
violence  has  hurt  the  cause.  It  has  taken  us  from  the 
field  of  activity,  sent  us  to  jail,  broken  the  strike,  and 
all  was  lost. 

MENDEL  :  In  the  law  of  nature,  nothing  is  ever  lost.  So  in 
our  movement. 

JUSTIN  :  I  am  sure  whatever  else  you  think,  you  owe  a 
deep  sense  of  gratitude  to  Miss  Fulsom. 

SCHMIDT:  All  dis  is  capitalistic  sentiment.  De  comrade  has 
gone  back  on  our  principles. 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  63 

EMMA:  Do  you  want  us  to  hear  from  your  friends  also? 

JUSTIN  :  It  is  all  a  waste,  Doctor.  Of  no  use,  Miss  Fulsom. 
The  tyranny  of  your  creed  reeks  with  injustice. 

SCHMIDT:  You  come  here  to  explode  your  heresies.  I  vill 
not  tolerate  it.  '>^> 

AMY  :  I  should  like  to  say  something.  4L 

MENDEL:  Since  she  is  not  a  comrade,  we  cannot  take^er 
affirmance  under  Code  Section  4,  Subdivision  1. 

GALLICI  :  But  I  am  sure  dat  from  such  a  lady  nothing  but 
de  truth  will  come. 

SCHMIDT:  With  such  maudlin  sentiment,  vat  vill  become 
of  our  New  Republic? 

EMMA:  (To  Amy)  You  may  make  a  short  statement. 

AMY  :  Ladies,  Gentlemen,  and  Friends :  I  am  the  guilty 
one.  On  my  own  initiative,  I  offered  Mr.  Justin  the 
money.  In  every  word  and  action,  he  has  always  been 
honorable. 

SCHMIDT:  Yes,  honorable  to  you  und  your  institutions,  but 
not  to  de  New  Republic. 

AMY:  I  fail  to  interpret  your  dream. 

MENDEL  :  It  is  not  a  dream,  but  a  mathematical  science. 

AMY:  Without  honor,  there  can  be  no  republic.  It  was  I, 
misinformed  and  in  haste,  acting  upon  that  mysterious 
telephone  call — (Dr.  Reed  looks  at  Schmidt,  and 
Schmidt  turns  away.)  In  my  natural  love  for  my 
father. 

SCHMIDT:  Capitalistic  love — fader,  child. 

AMY  :  To  save  his  life,  I  made  the  accusation  in  good  faith. 
The  only  retribution  I  could  make  was  to  right  the 
the  wrong,  to  free  the  innocent. 

MENDEL  :  The  science  of  the  New  Republic  springs,  not 
from  sentiment  but  from  calculation.  We  have  elimi 
nated  sentiment  from  our  fundamental  concepts  so  that 


64  THE  BOLSHEVISTS. 

we  always  proceed  from  premise  to  conclusion  by  the 
mathematical  route. 

GALLICI  :  But  de  heart  has  soul,  not  mathematics. 
AMY:  I  merely  came  here  to  prove  that  William  never  be 
trayed  labor,  and  all  its  gains  in  wages  and  hours  have 
been  through  his  efforts. 

SCHMIDT:  Gains.     Dat  is  vat  de  American  Federation  of 
Labor  vould  call  gains.     A  few  cents  more  in  vages, 
ten  minutes  more  for  lunch.     Gains. 
AMY:  But  do  you  not  hold  to  the  laws  of  evolution? 
SCHMIDT:  In  de  New  Republic,  it  is  de  Revolution. 
MENDEL:  Well,  we  can  under  Section    19,    subdivision    a, 

exonerate  him  if  the  members  of  the  board — 
SCHMIDT:  Vat,  after  he  pleads  guilty  and  his  only  evidence 

is  from  capitalistic  vitnesses? 

EMMA:  Dr.  Reed,  do  you  wish  to  say  something  too? 
DR.  REED  :  I  am  afraid,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  we  are  wast 
ing  very  much   trouble  quibbling  over  dreams.     You 
ought  to  be  bending  your  energies  toward  an  immediate 
betterment  of  conditions. 
EMMA:  Doctor,  you  may  proceed. 

DR.  REED  :  You  are  like  all  the  rest  of  the  many  that  I  have 
seen  over  and  over  again  on  the  other  side.  Instead  of 
getting  together,  correcting  the  immediate  wrongs  of 
society,  you  are  engaged  in  quibbling,  trying  to  change 
nature,  trying  to  change  the  natural  relations  between 
men  and  women.  You  remind  me  of  the  builders  of 
the  tower  of  Babel.  Do  let  me  have  the  Bible  so  that 
I  may  read  that  chapter  to  you,  that  you  may  see 
more  clearly  the  force  of  the  simile. 

SCHMIDT:  De  Bible  ve  don't  keep.  Ve  don't  keep  any 
capitalistic  literature  here. 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  65 

DR.  REED:  You  are  mistaken.  Whatever  we  are,  it  is  the 
literature  for  all  times.  The  builders  of  the  tower,  in 
trying  to  reach  heaven  to  the  seat  of  God,  found  them 
selves  in  a  maze  of  confusion.  Now  you,  in  trying  to 
build  away  from  the  natural,  are  too  in  a  maze  of  con 
fusion.  You  preach  the  abolition  of  home,  of  privacy, 
of  parentage.  Why,  even  the  hen  that  hatches  her 
brood,  stands  protector  over  them,  giving  them  shelter 
under  her  wing.  Yet  you  attempt  to  destroy  by  an 
ukase  of  your  creed,  the  very  first  law  of  nature,  to 
feed  and  protect  its  own. 

SCHMIDT:  Oh,  ve  understand  doing  dat,  only  ve  vill  do  it 
collectively  dat  is  all. 

DR.  REED  :  Motherhood  is  not  a  collective  institution.  It  is 
individual. 

MENDEL:  But,  Dr.  Reed,  you  don't  understand  Comrade 
Schmidt.  It  is  mathematically  demonstrated  and  sta 
tistically  proven  beyond  equivocation  that  under  our 
present  system,  thousands  of  children  are  daily  begotten 
into  the  world  without  the  pale  of  marriage  and  thou 
sands  more  within  lawful  wedlock  who  die  in  infancy 
because  of  poverty  and  neglect. 

DR.  REED  :  I  grant  you  that,  but  it  is  still  the  struggle  for  the 
preservation  of  the  finer  human  instincts  which  the 
ages  have  left  glorious  in  song  and  sentiment  and  which 
may  yet  be  realized. 

SCHMIDT:  Dat  is  all,  it's  song  und  sentiment. 

DR.  REED  :  And  you  without  sentiment,  would  have  mothers 
as  beasts  in  the  stall.  Even  in  the  stable  they  cry  for 
their  young  ones  taken  from  them.  Human  grief  has 
an  enduring  memory. 

SCHMIDT:  Dat  too  is  founded  on  sentiment. 

AMY  :  Without  sentiment,  life  would  be  barren. 


66  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

SCHMIDT:  (Sarcastically.}  Veil,  Miss,  in  our  present 
capitalistic  system,  you  are  vorth  so  much  on  the  mar 
riage  market.  Under  our  New  Republic,  you  vould 
be  de  property  of  us  all. 

(Justin  jumps  up,  grabs  Schmidt  by  the  throat,  chokes 
him.  Excitement.  Sandy  runs  to  Justin's  aid.  The 
chairman  pounds  with  her  gavel.  Order  is  restored.} 

DR.  REDD  :  Let's  have  no  more  of  this. 

SCHMIDT:  I  get  you  arrested. 

DR.  REED:  What,  you  would  invoke  the  capitalistic  law? 

JUSTIN  :  Now  let  me  speak  for  I  am  done  with  you  for  good. 
What  do  I  care  for  your  trials,  your  heresy  tribunals? 
I  see  it  all,  you  deluded  fools  and  parasites. 

MENDEL:  Parasites? 

JUSTIN  :  Yes,  parasites.  The  capitalist  parasites  upon  non 
productive  values ;  you,  upon  the  credulous. 

MENDEL  :  That  is  hardly  logical. 

JUSTIN  :  Logic  or  no  logic.  It  is  here.  You  scheme  and 
connive.  You  hate  the  unions  of  labor.  You  scab  on 
their  strikes  and  when  called  to  account,  you  give  the 
credulous,  the  glib  explanation  that  they  are  merely 
capitalistic. 

SCHMIDT :  But  is  dat  not  correct? 

JUSTIN:  Damn  you,  no.  First  you  create  disturbance  and 
then  you  gloat  over  the  strikers'  loss  because  out  of  their 
bitterness,  you  may  have  won  another  comrade.  You 
plead  with  their  slender  purses  that  you  may  keep  alive 
your  cheap  agitators. 

DR.  REED  :  They  neither  work  nor  spin. 

SCHMIDT:  Dat  is  Bible  stuff. 

JUSTIN  :  It  won't  hurt  you  to  listen  to  some  of  that. 

DR.  REED  :  Perhaps  he  prefers  Shakespeare. 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  67 

SCHMIDT:  He,  too,  is  capitalistic.  Does  he  not  speak  of  the 
toiler  as  a  man  with  chapped  hands  und — 

JUSTIN  :  There,  you  misguided  fools.  You  distort  an  isolated 
expression  to  fit  into  your  mad  fallacies. 

DR.  REED:  On  terra  firma. 

JUSTIN  :  You  preach  a  higher  rationalism,  and  yet  yours  is 
nothing  more  than  a  perverted  intellectualism ;  you  seek 
to  thwart  every  hope  that  turns  to  the  ideal. 

MENDEL  :  But  have  we  not  solved  all  our  doctrines  with  the 
exactness  of  mathematical  deductions?  Cold  reason  is 
true  philosophy. 

JUSTIN  :  Your  mathematics  to  the  dogs  and  your  philosophy 
to  the  winds.  Until  I  met  you  and  your  philosophy,  I 
was  a  man.  In  hours  of  meditation,  many  a  time  I 
traveled  back  to  my  childhood  days ;  they  took  me  back 
to  my  mother's  arms — the  first  instinct  of  a  child, 
mother  love. 

GALLICI:  Wonderful  sentiment. 

JUSTIN  :  The  dreams  of  boyhood — To  arms — the  first  in 
stinct  of  youth. 

SANDY:  Ah — ah — (Pointing  to  his  breast.} 

JUSTIN  :  In  my  fancies  of  majority  manhood — love,  home, 
wife,  with  little  ones  about  my  knee — the  first  instinct 
of  a  man.  These  three  instincts  clung  to  me  until  I 
met  you.  (He  takes  from  his  hip  pocket  a  portfolio 
and  from  it  a  locket.  It  is  his  mother's  face.  He  kisses 
it  and  proceeds.}  Mother,  I  shall  never  do  it  again. 
Until  I  came  here,  I  never  forgot  to  kiss  you  good 
night  since  the  angels  took  you  from  me.  (He  hangs 
it  on  his  watch  chain.}  There,  Mother,  you  are  with 
me  once  more.  Thank  God,  I  have  back  my  mother 
love. 
(Mendel  weeps.} 


68  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

SCHMIDT:  Vat  is  dat?  You  too  in  de  grandmudder  class 
of  funeral  mourners? 

MENDEL  :  This  is  the  fortieth  anniversary  of  the  massacre 
of  my  mother  in  Kiev  at  the  anti-semitic  riot.  I 
tried  hard  to  have  the  mathematical  analysis  of  our 
New  Republic  keep  it  down,  but  I  can't  now.  I  just 
can't. 

DR.  REED:  The  awakening  of  a  soul  that  had  fallen  asleep 
in  the  man  beneath  the  cover  of  his  mathematics. 

JUSTIN:  I  served  my  country.  What  did  you  do?  You 
aggravated  the  errors  of  the  government  and  distorted 
them  until  I  looked  upon  our  country  as  a  chamber  of 
crime  and  horror.  The  errors  we  shall  correct,  but 
the  government  we  must  not  destroy. 

DR.  REED  :  That  is  fine.  This  government  of  ours  shall  not 
perish  from  the  earth. 

JUSTIN:  (Takes  his  military  insignia  which  he  had 
secretly  pinned  on  the  inside  of  his  vest  and  fastens 
it  conspicuously  on  his  coat  lapel.)  There,  my  good  old 
pal,  (Gently  touching  the  insignia)  never  again  shall 
I  desert  you.  Forgive  me. 

GALLIC::  (Observes  that  Justin  had  also  seen  military  ser 
vice  in  Italy.)  Oh,  de  exquisite  sentiment.  De  music 
of  patriotism.  It  was  in  de  cause  of  de  Italian  Ir 
redenta. 

SCHMIDT:  Hu!  Dem  Italians.  Dey  always  flop.  You  never 
keep  dem  for  an  ally  for  long. 

JUSTIN  :  I  am  through  with  you  and  all  your  frauds. 

SCHMIDT:  Veil,  who  keeps  you?  You  can  go  und  Mendel 
und  Gallici.  De  New  Republic  vill  live  mitout  you. 

JUSTIN:  Yes,  Herr  Schmidt,  I  go  where  I  shall  be  a  man 
among  men.  God  has  come  back  to  me. 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  69 

DR.  REED  :  William,  you  have  come  back  to  God. 

AMY  :  Will,  I  am  proud  of  you. 

JUSTIN  :  It  is  not  the  God  of  Christian,  Jew,  or  Moham 
medan.  It  is  the  God  of  all  men  in  the  real  brother 
hood,  the  commonwealth  of  love. 

SCHMIDT:  Veil,  is  dis  a  revival  meeting  at  de  very  seat  of 
de  government  of  de  New  Republic? 

DR.  REED:  No,  but  the  sun  rays  of  reason  have  penetrated 
the  closed  shutters  of  your  political  abyss. 

SCHMIDT:  Nefer.  Nefer. 

DR.  REED  :  You  may  try  your  Sovietism  in  Russia,  your 
Spartacusism  in  Germany,  your  Bolshevism  every 
where,  but  as  long  as  men  like  Justin,  Mendel  and  Gal- 
lici  are  amenable  to  reason  and  thereby  reclaimed,  our 
republic  will  live. 

SANDY  :  Ah — ah — 

DR.  REED:  Yes,  and  you,  too,  McDonald. 

(Justin  tears  up  his  membership  card  and  throws  the 
pieces  on  the  table.) 

SCHMIDT:  I  vill  stand  for  no  resignations.  I  expell  him. 
Give  him  the  brand  of  Cain  against  our  New  Republic. 
(Justin  makes  a  dash  for  Schmidt.  Dr.  Reed  steps 
between.) 

DR.  REED  :  Justin,  that  makes  you  a  patriot  to  our  country. 
Even  the  first  apostle  of  the  New  Republic  was  obliged 
to  borrow  an  expression  from  capitalistic  literature. 

SCHMIDT:  Veil — • 

(Enter  outer  guard  excitedly) 

GUARD  :  The  police,  a  raid  ! 

DR.  REED:  (To  Amy.)  Be  calm. 

( The  Secretary  starts  the  phonograph  which  plays  The 
Star  Spangled  Banner.    Dr.  Reed,  Justin,  Sandy,  Men- 


70  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

del,  Gallici,  and  Amy  stand  at  attention.     All  others 
indifferent.     Police  enter) 

SERGEANT  O'FLARITY  :  Well,  I  be  damned.  Bolshevikies 
playing  the  Star  Spangled  Banner.  I  got  your  camou- 
blarney.  You're  under  arrest. 

(CURTAIN) 


ACT  IV 


ACT  IV. 

Scene:  Same  as  Act  1. 
Time  :     The  next  morning. 

(Mrs.  Fisher  is  now  Mrs.  Fulsom.  Enter  Butler  and 
Maid. ) 

BUTLER:  Hi  say,  Jeannette,  it  was  certainly  some  commo 
tion  with  them  bloomin  hextras.  The  telephone  ringing 
and  ringing  and  the  flock  of  reporters  trying  to  break 
in,  and  me  all  alone,  putting  them  off. 

MAID  :  I  shall  recommend  you  for  the  croix  de  guerre. 

BUTLER  :  Hi  say,  Jeanette,  what  a  scandal.  Hi  wonder  how 
the  new  mistress  will  take  it.  She  is  quite  uppish,  you 
know. 

MAID  :  You  old  sniffer,  your  nose  is  always  scenting  scandal. 

BUTLER  :  Ha !  That's  where  a  butler  makes  imself  hin- 
valuable.  It's  his  hold  hage  he  has  to  be  looking  hafter. 
(Making  advances  to  her,  trying  to  embrace  her.) 

MAID  :  Old  age  you'll  never  reach  if  you  don't  let  me  alone. 
(Pushing  him  aside.} 

BUTLER:  Hi  say,  Jeanette,  what  do  you  say  if  we  get  mar 
ried? 

MAID:  (Sarcastically}  Oh,  so  sudden. 

BUTLER  :  Well,  hi  never  had  time  to  pick  me  courage  out  of 
me  safety  box  before. 

MAID  :  You  better  put  it  back.  You  may  need  it  for  an 
other  time. 

BUTLER  :  Is  this  a  refusal  ? 

MAID  :  Worse,  It's  a  throw-down.     Can't  you  see,  you  old 


74  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

idiot,  that  I  have  been  engaged  for  over  two  years? 
(Showing  her  ring.) 

BUTLER:  But  you  can't  be  engaged  forever. 

MAID  :  You  needn't  bother,  Mr.  Charity.  My  boy  is  sailing 
for  home.  They  have  kept  him  with  the  army.  (Reads 
letter  to  herself.)  He  comes  soon.  Then  I  give  my 
notice. 

BUTLER  :  How  hinteresting !     I  'ope  'e  is  sound  and  healthy. 

MAID  :    You  need  not  worry.     Every  bit  of  him  come  back 
fine. 
(Enter  Mr.  Fulsom.) 

FULSOM  :     Good  morning. 

MAID  AND  BUTLER  :      Good  morning,  Mr.  Fulsom. 

FULSOM  :     Wilson,  bring  me  the  morning  paper. 

BUTLER:  Its  on  the  table  there  ready  for  you,  sir,  I  am 
sorry — • 

FULSOM  :     That  will  do,  Wilson. 

WILSON:     Yes,  sir.     (Exit) 

FULSOM  :  Jeanette,  is  Miss  Amy  up  yet  ? 

MAID:     Yes,  sir,  she  is  dressing. 

FULSOM  :  Tell  her  I  want  to  see  her  and  have  Wilson 
phone  Dr.  Reed  that  I  should  like  very  much  to  see 
him. 

MAID:  Yes,  sir.     (Exit) 

(Mr.  Fulsom  picks  up  the  morning  paper  and  reads:) 

FULSOM  :  Bolshevists  arrested.  Plot  against  the  United 
States  government  unearthed.  Among  those  caught  in 
the  raid  were  Dr.  Charles  Reed,  an  authority  on 
Bolshevism  and  a  mediator  for  the  government;  Amy 
Fulsom,  daughter  of  Robert  Fulsom,  millionaire;  Wil 
liam  Justin,  the  labor  agitator,  and  others.  $40,000  in 
certificates  of  deposit  and  secret  code  found  on  person 
of  Alexander  Schmidt. 


75 


(Fulsom  crushes  and  throws   paper    aside    in    anger. 
Enter  Mrs.  Fulsom.) 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  It  is  a  fine  mess  we  are  in.  I  wonder  what 
my  friends  will  say. 

MR.  FULSOM:  Here  is  the  paper.     (Picking  it  up.) 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  I  don't  want  to  read  the  nasty  news.  (Look 
ing  in  her  beauty  glass.)  It's  telling  on  me  already. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  There,  there,  dear.    You  will  be  all  right. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  That's  poor  consolation.  Why  couldn't  Amy 
have  thought  of  our  position  before  she  got  into  such 
a  mess? 

(Door  bell  rings.    Butler  announces  Kingston.    King 
ston  enters.    Exit  butler.) 

KINGSTON  :  Why,  good  morning,  Mr.  Fulsom,  and  you, 
Mildred. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Hello,  Harold.    Isn't  the  scandal  awful  ? 

MR.  FULSOM  :  (Bowing}  Isn't  this  unusually  early  for  you 
to  be  up? 

KINGSTON:  Yes.  Ha!  Ha!  Yes.  But  my  valet  shook  me 
out  of  bed  and  said  I  must  read  the  morning  paper  at 
once.  It  was  such  a  clever  thing,  very  clever,  that  I 
thought  I  would  come  over  and  congratulate  Amy. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Congratulate  ?  Why,  Harold.  You  of  all 
persons  !  Have  you  lost  your  sense  of  social  poise  ? 

KINGSTON  :  No,  not  exactly,  but  I  could  never  get  into  any 
such  clever  mix-ups  and  be  of  service  to  the  govern 
ment  like  Amy.  Unearth  a  plot! 

MRS.  FULSOM:  Service?  Always  to  the  government.  But 
how  about  service  to  me?  What  will  our  friends  say? 

KINGSTON  :  Why,  Amy  will  be  lionized  all  the  more  now. 
(Enter  Amy.    Kingston  runs  to  her.) 

KINGSTON  :  Good  morning,  Amy.     Congratulations. 

AMY:  (Nods  laughingly)  What  for? 


76  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

KINGSTON:  Your  luck.     Why  didn't  you  invite  me? 

AMY:  Morning,  Daddy.  (Lovingly  kissing  him.  Her  fath 
er  is  angry  and  does  not  return  the  kiss.)  Very  well, 
Father.  I  shall  not  kiss  you  again  until  you  come  and 
kiss  me. 

MR.  FULSOM  :     Come  Amy.     (He  throws  his  arms  around 
her  and  kisses  her.)     Why  don't  you    cut    out    your 
pranks  and  settle  down  to  the  things  suitable  to  your 
station?    You  ought  to  be  thinking  of  marriage. 
(Kingston  is  abashed.) 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  There  you  go,  Robert.  You  are  about  as 
stern  as  a  day  old  chick. 

AMY:  Good  morning,  Mildred. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Good  morning.  How  utterly  selfish  of  you 
to  get  mixed  up  with  such  a  horrid  crowd  of  workmen. 
I  wish  you  would  call  me  mother  at  least  in  company. 

AMY  :  Harold  is  not  company ;  he  is  just  an  old  friend 
making  an  informal  call. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Harold  never  does  anything  informally. 

KINGSTON  :  No,  I  can't  say  I  do.  I  am  very  exact  about 
all  my  affairs  but  last  night's  really  made  me  act  on 
the  spur  of  the  moment.  Perhaps  I  should  have 
thought  it  over  and  sent  a  note  of  sympathy. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  There,  Harold.  I  knew  if  you  were  awake 
long  enough,  your  sense  of  propriety  would  come  back 
to  you. 

AMY  :  Then,  let  us  understand  that  I  shall  never  call  you 
mother  until  I  feel  like  it. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Very  well.  Mr.  Fulsom,  let  your  daughter 
insult  your  wife  in  your  very  home.  But  what  can  you 
expect  when  she  associates  with  the  plumberman  and 
the  like. 

AMY:  (Enraged,  clenching  her  fists.)     See  here.    I'll  not — 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  77 

(The   door-bell   rings.      The     butler    announces    Dr. 
Reed.} 

MRS.  FULSOM  :    What  does  he  want  here  this  early  hour  ? 

MR.  FULSOM:  I  sent  for  him.     (Exit  Butler.) 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  After  last  night's  horrible  escapade,  I  do 
not  think  our  home  should  be  open  to  Dr.  Reed. 

AMY  :  Dr.  Reed  enters  or  I  leave. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Have  it  your  way,  my  dear.  I  have  tried 
to  do  my  best  for  you,  but  you  are  losing  Harold  (look 
ing  at  Harold)  and  your  other  men  friends  because  of 
your  common  associates.  I  am  relieved  of  all  future 
responsibility. 

AMY  :  Thanks.  Your  ideas  of  life  and  mine  are  vastly 
apart.  (The  butler  enters  and  remains.)  We  both 
have  father.  In  all  other  thing  we  are  different. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :    The  idea !  Wilson ! 

MR.  FULSOM:  (As  butler  is  leaving.)  Ask  the  Doctor  to 
come  in.  (Exit  butler.) 

AMY:  (To  Mrs.  Fulsom.)  What  I  do  and  say  need  not  be 
a  secret  from  anybody. 
(Enter  Dr.  Reed.) 

DR.  REED:  Good  morning.     Good  morning  everybody. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  Good  morning,,  Dr.  Reed. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Good  morning,  Dr.  Reed. 

KINGSTON  :  Good  morning,  Dr.  Reed. 

AMY:  Doctor,  good  morning.     (Running  up  to  him.) 

DR.  REED:  (To  Amy.)  I  hope  you  rested  well. 

AMY:  Never  better  in  my  life. 

DR.  REED:  Then  my  little  girl  likes  adventure? 

AMY  :  It  was  great. 

DR.  REED:  I  am  glad  you  take  it  that  way,  but  I  would 
rather  have  avoided  it.  The  publicity,  I  felt,  would  be 
especially  offensive  to  your  mother. 


78  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Thank  you,  Doctor.  Amy  seems  to  lack 
that  finer  sense  of  appreciation. 

DR.  REED:  If  so,  it  is  not  without  compensation.  Amy  has 
gained  a  world  of  knowledge  and  wisdom. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :    That  does  not  hold  a  husband  in  our  set. 

AMY  :  Knowledge  or  wisdom  never  held  a  social  non 
entity. 

HAROLD  :  Amy — 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Maybe  you  would  like  to  be  a  daughter  of 
the  revolution. 

AMY  :  I  am  not  ashamed  to  say  it  in  the  presence  of  Harold. 
(Turning  to  Harold.)  Before  I  was  born,  Father  was 
poor,  a  plumber. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Amy!  (Kingston  is  surprised.) 

AMY  :  Yes,  and  you  were  the  daughter  of  a  small  country 
merchant  before  your  first  marriage,  and  he  went  bank 
rupt  feeding  your  social  aspirations. 

MRS.  FULSOM:  (Greatly  agitated.)  How  dare  you! 

AMY:  And  Kingston's  grandfather  was  a  common  salt 
digger  and  his  uncle  was  arrested  in  connection  with 
army  frauds  in  the  Civil  War.  Kingston's  wealth  is 
tainted.  A  daughter  of  the  revolution  should  know 
pedigrees,  my  dear. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Have  you  lost  your  reason  ? 

KINGSTON  :  The  idea !  The  very  idea ! 

AMY:  But  that  does  not  make  you  folks  one  bit  better  or 
worse.  Those  I  love,  I  love,  and  those  I  don't,  I  don't. 
I  did  not  say  it  to  hurt  you,  but  it  was  all  true. 

KINGSTON  :  Thank  you,  Miss  Amy,  I  must  be  going.  I 
have  an  engagement.  I  am  changing  valets. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Harold,  you  must  understand  Amy  is  all 
upset.  I  do  regret  this  scene.  And  you,  Dr.  Reed,  will 
pardon  us? 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  79 

DR.  REED  :  I  understand.     Amy  has  been  very  charitable  to 

me. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  How's  that  ? 
DR.  REED:  In  forgetting  my  pedigree.     I  worked  my  way 

through  college  as  a  waiter. 
MRS.  FULSOM:  Really,  Doctor?  Marvelous. 
AMY:     (To  Mrs.  Fulsom}     As  though  you  did  not  know. 

(Maid  enters.} 
MAID  :     Please,  Mrs.  Fulsom,  the  cook  wants  to  see  Miss 

Amy. 

AMY:     Let  her  come  in.     (Exit  maid.} 
MRS.  FULSOM  :  What  ?  In  the  parlor  ? 
A.MY:     Why  not? 

(Cook  enters  all  dressed  in  her  wedding  outfit.} 
COOK  :  Excuse  me,  Miss  Amy. 
AMY:  Good  morning  Cookie.    What  is  it? 
COOK  :  I  was  just  goin'  to  tell  yez  that  I  am  askin'  to  be 

excused  so  I  ken  go  to  me  weddin'  at  Father  Murphy's 

church. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  And  I  suppose  you  will  ask  us  to  attend. 
AMY:     And  why  not?     God  bless  you,  Cookie.     Tell  me 

where  you  are  going  to  live  and  I'll  send  you  a  three 

piece  parlor  set  for  a  wedding  present. 
COOK  :    A  parlor  set  ?    May  the  Holy  Virgin  bless  and  kape 

you   forever. 

(Mr.    Fulsom    and   Dr.    Reed    laugh.      Mrs.    Fulsom 

frowns.  Observing  her,  Mr.  Fulsom  sobers  up.     Dr. 

Reed  continues  to  laugh.} 
AMY  :     And  who  is  your  lucky  man  ? 
COOK:     Shall  I  bring  him  in? 
AMY:     Yes.     (Exit  cook.} 
MRS.  FULSOM  :  Oh,  horrors !      Come    Harold,    let's    leave 

this  democracy. 


80  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

(Exit  Harold  and  Mrs.  Fulsom.    Amy  waves  her  hand 

at  Harold  as  he  goes.  Cook  opens  the  door  and  shouts.) 
COOK:     Come  in,  Sandy.     Do  yez  hear  me? 

(Enter  Sandy  dressed  in  his  wedding  outfit.) 
DR.  REED  AND  AMY:  Why  hello,  Sandy.     (Each  grabbing 

him  by  his  gloved  hand  and  shaking  it.) 
SANDY:     Ah — ah     (Fulsom  laughs.) 
DR.  REED:   (To  cook)   So  this  Bolshevik  is  going  to  have 

a  regular  church  wedding? 
COOK  :    There  will  be  no  bullshevikism  in  the  bosom  of  me 

family.     It's  the  shellaleh  for  him  that's  thinkin'  that 

when  I  am  around. 
SANDY  :     Ah — ah — 
DR.  REED:  Miss  McGinnis  what  is  your  understanding  of 

Bolshevism. 
COOK  :     Bullshevikism    is    Socialism    doin'    the    shimmey. 

(All  laughing) 
SANDY  :  Ah — ah — 
DR.  REED:  Go  on,  Sandy.  Take  your  time.  We  will  wait. 

Tell  us  what  you  have  been  trying  to  say  for  the  last 

half  year  or  so. 
COOK  :     And  shure  he  says  more  than  Ah — ah  to  me.     He 

can  shpake  when  we  are  alone,  can't  you  Sandy  ?    And 

if  he  shtutters  with  his  tongue,  he  don't  with  his  arms. 

Do  yez  Sandy? 
DR.  REED  :  Go  on  Sandy. 

SAN-DY  :     Ah — ah — I  w-wont  h-have  t-to  d-do  a-any  mo- 
more    t-t-talkin    s-since    I    h-have    M-M-Mary       T- 

thank  y-you. 
COOK:  If  I  wait  till  he  gets  through  shputterin',  we'll  be 

late  for  the  weddin'  bells,  I  be  thinkin'. 
AMY  AND  DR.  REED:  Good  luck.  Good  luck. 

(E.vit  cook  and  Sandy.    Enter  Mrs.  Fulsom.) 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  81 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Well,  I  hope  now  the  burlesque  is  over. 
Robert,  how  can  you  tolerate  such  vulgarity  under  our 
roof? 

DR.  REED  :  Come,  sit  down,  Mildred.  Just  be  at  ease.  Get 
out  of  your  decollette  and  into  a  nice  easy  morning 
sack  of  thinking — pretty,  of  course. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Doctor,  another  of  your  sermons,  I  suppose. 

DR.  REED  :  Yes,  it  is  all  about  the  high  society  of  our 
republic,  and  the  low  society  of  theirs. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  I  am  in  the  pew. 

DR.  REED:  Pardon  me  if  I  remark  that  your  attitude  to 
wards  these  humble  souls  is  not,  shall  I  say,  very  broad  ? 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  I  trust  you  do  not  consider  them  in  our  class. 

DR.  REED  :  Certainly  not.  You  represent  opposites — ex 
tremes.  Without  the  least  offense — 'really,  they  are  of 
value  to  society.  The  instinct  of  mother  is  there. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Am  I  to  be  blamed  if  I  did  not  have  chil 
dren? 

DR.  REED:  Blamed?  A  properly  regulated  society  would 
impose  upon  a  perfectly  normal  healthy  woman  with 
out  children,  both  punishment  and  ostracism.  So  you 
see,  on  the  question  of  children,  you  and  the  Bolshe 
vists  are  in  true  accord. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  When  you  speak  of  Bolshevists,  I  presume 
you  refer  to  the  plumber  man's  society. 

AMY  :  Your  classification  of  him  does  not  offend  me  in  the 
least. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Doctor,  I  am  listening  to  you. 

DR.  REED  :  Their  society  and  yours,  though  opposites,  are 
identically  alike  in  results  leading  to  the  same  unhappy 
ending.  They  look  upon  children  as  mere  encum 
brances.  When  a  child  comes,  it  is  thrust  upon  the 
state.  There  is  no  home.  The  cradle  is  in  the  bar- 


82  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

racks.  Do  not  society  women  throw  off  the  duty  of 
children?  They  interfere  with  their  social  affairs.  If 
they  come,,  they  are  reared  in  the  nursery  by  a  nurse. 
Thus  you  see  the  instinct  of  motherhood  is  smothered 
in  both  extremes. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Then  you  would  deprive  us  of  our  free  will? 

DR.  REED:  That  is  just  what  your  opposites  say.  Govern 
ment  is  restraint  upon  personal  desires.  You,  when 
you  find  it  restrains,  endeavor  to  cheat  the  law. 
They,  when  they  find  it  restrains,  want  to  abolish  the 
law. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Leaving  this  delicate  question  which  we 
women  alone  should  answer,  what  other  monstrous 
similarity  would  you  strike  up  between  us  and  those 
vagabonds  ? 

DR.  REED:  In  good  society,  when  husband  is  tired  of 
wife,  and  wife  is  tired  of  husband — divorce — court — 
a  little  publicity,  nasty  of  course,  but  soon  forgotten — 
the  divorce  bills,  alimony  bill,  lawyers'  bill.  Then  so 
ciety  announces,  Mrs.  Smith,  who  obtained  her  divorce 
from  Mr.  Smith,  naming  Mrs.  Brown  as  co-respon 
dent,  will  wed  Mr.  Brown  just  as  soon  as  the  decree 
is  made  permanent  and  Mrs.  Brown,  who  obtained 
her  decree  from  Mr.  Brown,  naming  the  well-known 
Mrs.  Smith,  will  likewise  wed  Mr.  Smith  upon  the 
rendering  of  the  decree  permanent. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Why  not  ?    The  law  allows  it. 

DR.  REED:  Yes.  Now  the  vagabonds,  as  you  call  them, 
don't  wait  for  courts  and  lawyers  and  alimony.  They 
just  come  and  part  without  ceremony.  It  is  part  of 
their  direct  action.  But  both  means  forbode  ill — one 
under  the  sanctity  of  the  law — the  other  in  its  violation. 
Too  much  direct  action.  Too  much  indirect  action. 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  83 

The  one  began  in  a  violation  of  law ;  the  other,  without 
law.  Both,  however  opposite  in  scheme,  are  same  in 
effect.  Selfish  parents  in  one  case  and  a  rotten  state 
in  the  other.  "Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  me." 
One  is  doing  society  in  apachee,  the  other  in  decollette. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Please  go  to  another  point,  Reverend  Reed. 

DR.  REED  :  Very  well.  I  am  ever  ready  to  please  my  flock. 
You  sanction  the  right  to  accumulate  all  the  property 
in  the  world  in  one  person,  if  it  were  possible. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  Surely  you  don't  deny  anyone  that  right. 

DR.  REED:  Even  to  the  exclusion  of  whatever  its  effect 
upon  the  rest  of  the  world? 

MR.  FULSOM:  Why  not?    It  is  according  to  law. 

DR.  REED:  Well,  the  others  would  take  all  your  property 
and  the  right  to  it  from  you. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  You  mean  they  would  deny  me  the  right  to 
own  property? 

DR.  REED  :  Surely.  Why  not  ?  If  you  would  not  deny  any 
one  the  right  to  accumulate  all  the  property,  why  not 
deny  anyone  any  right  to  any  property? 

MR.  FULSOM  :  But  that  is  not  in  accordance  with  law. 

DR.  REED  :  Well,  under  their  law,  it  would  be. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  I  see. 

DR.  REED:  Under  present  conditions,  one  may  strike  any 
bargain  with  another  seeking  work — taking  advantage 
of  there  being  plenty  out  of  work — driving  a  bargain 
for  a  wage  that  is  not  decently  sufficient. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  But  is  not  that  the  legal  right  to  contract  ? 

DR.  REED:  Under  our  democracy,  this  should  not  be 
the  law.  No  one  should  be  suffered  to  work  except  for 
a  wage  suitable  to  decent  American  standards. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  But  that  would  not  give  one  any  choice  for 
individual  development. 


84  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

DR.  REED  :  Under  their  regime,  no  man  would  have  a  right 
to  work  under  any  kind  of  contract. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  You  mean  to  say  he  would  have  no  right  to 
bargain  to  determine  his  hours  of  employment  or  his 
wage? 

DR.  REED:  The  state  would  do  the  bargaining  for  him. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  But  that  would  leave  no  liberties  at  all. 

DR.  REED:  That's  exactly  it.  In  one  case,  the  individual 
may  monopolize  for  himself  all  the  opportunities  of 
life.  In  the  other,  the  state  does  it. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  Intolerable. 

DR.  REED:  Precisely,  and  we  have  not  exhausted  the  sub 
ject  by  any  means.  By  the  wage  paid,  we  automatical 
ly  determine  their  status. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  But,  Doctor,  each  one  has  a  chance  to  get  out 
of  it. 

DR.  REED  :  One  in  a  million.  The  average  human  is  neither 
fortunate  nor  brilliant  enough  to  extricate  himself. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  Well,  how  is  it  to  be  avoided  ? 

AMY  :  And  under  their  regime,  they  would  by  law  standard 
ize  dress,  food,  hours  of  recreation,  like  so  many 
soldiers. 

DR.  REED:  No,  like  so  many  convicts. 

AMY  :  Extremes  leading  to  the  same  chaos. 

DR.  REED:  The  product  of  intolerance  at  both  ends. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  There  must  be  a  remedy.  I  never  gave  it 
thought. 

DR.  REED:  That's  it.  In  looking  after  your  own,  you  have 
let  government  drift,  grudgingly  paying  taxes,  much 
of  it  wasted,  of  course.  Do  you  wonder  at  this  rising 
tide  of  unrest? 

MR.  FULSOM  :  Doctor,  are  personal  rights  to  be  swept 
away? 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  85 

DR.  REED  :  Personal  rights,  as  those  of  property,  are  founded 
in  traditional  idealism.  But  the  malefactors — let's  be 
less  harsh,  the  accumulators — have  substituted  self  for 
idealism  almost  unconsciously.  (To  Mrs  Fulsom)  So, 
you  and  Comrade  Gold  of  your  sex  are  stubborn  op- 
posites,  each  refusing  to  leave  your  mistaken  position 
to  approach  the  center  of  reason. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Oh,  Robert.  I  won't  be  named  in  the  same 
breath  with  that  woman. 

DR.  REED  :  Pardon  me.  I  merely  said  you  were  opposites 
and  both  are  wrong.  There's  William  Justin  and  Amy, 
who  were  stubborn  opposites  until  by  contact  they  had 
opportunity  to  learn  the  errors  of  their  theories. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  That  nasty  agitating  plumber  man. 

AMY  :  See  here,  Mildred.     You  shall  not  say  that. 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  So  I  see,  another  new  alliance,  another 
choice  bon-bon  for  the  tattlers — Amy  Fulsom, 
daughter  of  Robert  Fulsom,  leader  of  society,  weds 
William  C.  Justin,  plumber  and  labor  leader. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  Mildred  ! 

AMY:  Father,  I  have  not  been  asked;  if  I  were,  I  should 
feel  honored.  As  for  Mrs.  Fulsom,  she  is  your  wife.  I 
seek  neither  her  counsel  nor  aid.  Will  Justin  is  one 
thousand  per  cent  superior  in  every  way  compared  with 
our  social  friends. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  But,  Amy,  think  what  it  means. 

AMY  :  Well,  I  would  not  be  invited  to  Mrs.  Vanderlee's  card 
party  nor  Mrs.  Golden's  dinner  nor  Mrs.  Van  Loon's 
ball. 

(Door  bell    rings.      Butler    announces    "Mr.    Justin." 
E.vit  Butler.) 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Who  sent  for  him  ? 

AMY:  I  did. 


86  THE  BOLSHEVISTS 

MRS.  FULSOM  :  Robert,  I  am  leaving  you.    It  is  your  affair. 

Arrange  for  my  immediate  trip  abroad.     I  shall  not  be 

subjected  to  further  humiliation. 

(Exit  Mrs.  Fulsom.     Enter  Justin.     Amy  and  Justin 

affectionately  greet  each  other.) 
AMY:  So  glad,  Will. 

JUSTIN:  (Taking  her  hand.)  Thank  you,  Amy. 
DR.  REED:  Good  morning,  Justin. 

MR.  FULSOM  :  Good  morning,  Mr.  Justin.    How  do  you  do? 
JUSTIN  :  Mr.  Fulsom,  I  cannot  tell  you  how  deeply  grieved 

— this  newspaper  notoriety  for  your  daughter — 
MR.  FULSOM  :  So  you  feel  in  a  measure  responsible. 
AMY  :  Father,  he  is  not.     I  assume  all  responsibility. 
MR.  FULSOM  :  Are  you  and  Amy  betrothed  ? 
JUSTIN:  No. 
AMY:  No.    Father. 
MR.    FULSOM  :   Then,    Mr.   Justin,   for  the  happiness   and 

peace  of  my  household,  I  am  going  to  ask  you  never  to 

see  my  daughter  again. 
AMY  :  No,  no,  father. 
DR.  REED:  Mr.  Fulsom,  perhaps  you  are  right,  but  it  is 

only  fair  that  you  be  more  specific. 
MR.  FULSOM  :  Very  well.     Mr.  Justin,  you  are  a  radical. 

You  cannot  understand  her  life  and  she  cannot  yours. 
JUSTIN:  That  would  have  been  true  a  time  ago,  but  not 

now. 

DR.  REED:  Mr.  Fulsom,  their  minds  have  met. 
MR.  FULSOM  :  That  sounds  very  well  on  paper,  in  books, 

but  it  won't  do  in  real  life. 
DR.  REED:  Let  us  see,  Mr.  Fulsom.     Look  back  to  your 

struggling  days.    Your  ambition  was  to  be  rich  and  you 

have   fulfilled    it.    But   is   it   bringing   you   happiness? 

Come,  let's  go  to  the  library  and  talk  it  over  further. 


THE  BOLSHEVISTS  87 

(They  get  up  and  go  and  on  their  way  out.)  (To 
Mr.  Fulsom)  What  matters  it  if  the  whole  world  dis 
agrees,  if  they  two  agree?  (Exit  Dr.  Reed  and  Mr. 
Fulsom.) 

JUSTIN:  Amy,  I  had  better  go.  Perhaps  your  father  is 
right. 

AMY  :  Don't  go,  Will. 

JUSTIN:  Amy,  do  you  really  want  me  to  stay? 
(Amy  nods  her  head.) 

JUSTIN  :  And  are  you  conscious  of  all  the  consequences 
that  come  with  an  unforgiving  father? 

AMY  :  Yes,  Billy,  for  when  I  was  a  little  girl,  my  nurse 
read  me  the  story  of  Cinderella.  I  always  envied  that 
poor  little  thing,  and  now,  after  all  these  years,  I  am 
dreaming  of  Cinderella  again. 

JUSTIN:  (Embraces  Amy.)  And  me? 

AMY  :  Yes,  dear,  and  you. 

( CURTAIN) 


